Remembered, not forgotten
Families set out to memorialize victims in New Year’s Eve suspected DUI crash
It was just supposed to be a normal drive down the street to a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve. But one car crash changed everything for four Bakersfield families, along with a tightknit friends group that has been gutted by the deaths of three 20-year-old men.
Nearly three months after the accident, the loss is still difficult to comprehend for Alice Hutchings, Angela Wilson and Sasha McKeen, the mothers of Devin Atha, Timothy Wilson and Andrew Ortiz. They have set out to establish two memorials, not just to keep their sons’ legacies alive, but to remind passersby how quickly life can swerve out of control.
“It’s a place to know they are being remembered, and not being forgotten,” Hutchings said, “as well as reminding kids, or people of any age, that this can happen at any time. Let’s take a moment to just reflect and be thankful for what we do have.”
The friends were only heading to a house a few minutes away, but less than a minute after they got in the car, the driver, Adam Teasdale, swerved into a tree, killing Atha, Wilson and Ortiz, who were sitting in the backseat without their seat belts, police said. According to a police report, the surrounding area was littered with multiple nitrous oxide canisters and a nearly empty bottle of Fireball whiskey.
As Teasdale walked around the wreckage, one witness reported to the police that he said, “I just killed my friends.”
He has been charged with three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of DUI causing bodily injury. He has pleaded not guilty and his next hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The surviving family have tried not to blame Teasdale for the tragedy. In what was supposed to be a year of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, they have instead been forced to confront a nearly unimaginable loss.
“My kids lost a brother. My parents lost a grandson. My grandchildren lost an uncle. Losing him means losing a part of ourselves,” Wilson said. “It’s like our family will always have this void where he was supposed to be. They never got to get married and have children. So there’s just a whole lifetime that just got taken from us and we’re having a really hard time dealing with that.”
In many ways, Atha, Wilson and Ortiz were typical Bakersfield guys, but their friends remember their outsized personalities and bright futures that never got the chance to become a reality.
“I’ve met a lot, thousands of people — good, crazy people — out here, and there are only a handful of them that are like them, that I see going the distance with life,” said friend Bennett Johnson. “They all had real good heads on their shoulders and they could have gone extremely far. It’s just sad to see them go too soon.”
One of their favorite spots was The Park at River Walk, where they would goof off for hours. Steve McKeen, Ortiz’s stepfather, described the location as the place where the group could just be themselves.
In a place like Bakersfield, which isn’t known for its vast amount of entertainment options, Atha, Wilson and Ortiz brought some joy to their friends.
“We never did anything extravagant. We never did anything wild, but they knew how to make the most out of what we had to work with,” said friend Amber Johnston. “They really were great kids, and they did a lot to make everyone happy. Not only myself, but I’m pretty sure a lot of other people will be extremely thankful to have had them in their lives because they did a lot even when they didn’t have to.”
The families hope to place memorial benches at The Park at River Walk and near the site of the crash itself. City staff have worked to help the families navigate the process.
On April 17, the families are hosting the “Together Forever Golf Tournament” at Kern River Golf Course to help pay for the two memorials. Sponsors and raffle prizes are still being sought, along with participants and volunteers.
The tournament will cost $100 per player. Sponsorships will cost $100 per hole.
For more information, call Karen Galyan at 661-3014754 or Alice Hutchings at 661-330-3624.