active nor cal'ers in late 03, and 04 remember wickedfx aka rich?

[Melt]

UPDATED 06-25-06 SCROLL TO POST #15 FOR DETAILS

well im sure some of you guys remember my friend richard with the silver v6 accord. Anyway he got hit by a 19 year old drunk driver at the beginning of april and his fiance died. Figured i would share the thread and pictures with you guys.

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=938461

his car before

Woman dies after weekend collision

Merced man, 19, suspected of driving under influence


By Mike De La Cruz
MDELACRUZ@MERCEDSUN-STAR.COM
Last Updated: April 4, 2006, 07:01:19 AM PDT

A 26-year-old Vacaville woman died at a Modesto hospital over the weekend when the car in which she was riding was struck by a suspected drunk driver in Atwater.

Anda Winka Kwok was taken by air ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, where she died.

Brandon Viveiros, 19, of Merced reportedly fled from the scene and was apprehended by Atwater police officers a short time later.

He was booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing injuries, hit-and-run resulting in death or injuries, driving while under the influence causing vehicle manslaughter without gross negligence and driving with a suspended license.

Richard Swigger, 26, of Vacaville, the driver of a 2000 Honda Accord, suffered major injuries and was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, where his condition remained unknown on Monday.

Michael Fortuna, 23, of Turlock, a passenger in the Viveiros vehicle, was not injured.

California Highway Patrol Officer Albert Franks said the accident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday on northbound Highway 99 south of Applegate Road.

Swigger was driving north on Highway 99 on the outside lane when the 1998 Honda Prelude driven by Viveiros also was northbound in the inside lane.

The Viveiros car swerved into the path of the Accord, striking the left side of the Swigger car, pushing it off the highway and continuing off the paved road, the officer said.

Franks said the front end of Swigger's car struck a tree, causing major front end damage.

Kwok sustained major injuries and was taken by air ambulance to the Modesto hospital.

Viveiros fled from the scene on foot and was later apprehended in a restaurant parking lot by Atwater police officers.

He remained in custody Monday in lieu of $135,810 bail, said sheriff's spokeswoman Christine Krebs- Belluomini.

Reporter Mike De La Cruz can be reached at 385-2474 or mdelacruz@mercedsun-star.com.

Thank you all for the messages. It's nice to know that I have help. Up until this last week, I have finaly decided to try and live again instead of just hoping to die in anyway possible. Life really stinks now and I feel so lost. But I'm trying to be strong. Not many people know this because it's not in the story. But Anda had a metal bar attached to her spine due to having a bad back as a kid. When we got hit, the force of hitting the tree ripped out the metal bar away from her spine breaking her spine and then the bar cut up all her internal organs and she bled to death in the hospital. I have been soo sad since this happened. I have lost my best friend. The one person i finaly found that i want to spend the rest of my life with. The coroner told me that if she didn't have the metal bar in her, then she would have only broken a leg like me and been fine. I realize now that God saved her from something horribly worse. The past few months, she had been complaining about how much her back was hurting her. I am also happy that before the paramedics took us away, we were holding hands like we alway's do, and we got to tell each other that we loved each other one last time. I am going to forever miss her. She was the greatest person I ever could have asked to be with. Thank you all again for the support. And thank you Julie, you have alway's been there for me.

If anyone needs to get ahold of me, my cell is 707-628-2503
I am in Montana right now seeing a chiropracter which i am going to try and go to school now to become one myself. So my mom didn't want to leave me alone so i will be here until the 25th of this month. I have found a new place to live but could use a better deal. and i found a used Acura cl so i won't have to make payments on a car anymore.

Here are some pics of the car. And no we were not speeding. the trees on the 99 freeway are literaly 5-10 ft from the freeway.

This was Anda the last time you guys saw her at the car meet we went to. and us that same day.

anyways just thought id share this with you guys ... i called him today and talked to him a little bit, hes being strong and hanging in there, i didnt really know what to say but i tried you know i cant even imagine how hard this is for him.

 

[Matt]

Dude thats f**ken so sad. I would want to die to if the love of my life left me in such a horrible way.

I hope that b***h ass kid rots in prison.

So sad.

Rest in peace Anda and I hope Richard pulls through all this. Its so devestating.

I remember the car but i didnt meet the driver.

 

[ImportFan1]

sry for the loss. i remember him being on here as well. sad to see someone go like that.

 

[Declectic]

man that sucks hardcore... i believe i meet the accord driver once before on the way to a meet..

sorry to hear of all that

 

[Melt]

I hope that b***h ass kid rots in prison.

i mentioned somethin bout him maybe gettin attempted manslaughter or some weak s**t when i was on the phone wit rich yesteday, but the more i think about it the more i think hes gonna go full out on this one based on the facts

19
driving a sports car (prelude, and its rumored he was a member of bayareaprelude.com)

and finally the fact that he fled the accident scene on foot!

 

[Matt]

no he isnt a member of bap, merced? Thats faaaar from the bay. There is only one person from merced on bap and it defenatly isnt that little piece of s**t.

 

[destro7]

wow thats sad, i remember him from the meet. Thats me in the gray/white/red sweater in the first pic. my heart goes out to them.

 

[got traction]

wow. sorry to hear that bro

 

[ZuM00Si]

that sucks man..I remember that car from meets sucks.

 

[2kstreetcivic]

I rememeber Rich....he was one of the first people I met when I joined this club back in 2003..we meet at the Sactown Discovery Park meet...he is an awesome guy...my prayers go out to him and may his fiance rest in peice

 

[ZuM00Si]

Was he comming back from a trip or something since he was in the southern end of the valley? I can vouch for the trees being that close to the freeway since I travel 99 quite often North and South.

 

[Melt]

he was driving back home from texas.

 

[$lick Rick]

the first thing i did after reading this was call my girl and tell her i love her


sad sad sad sad s**t

 

[Melt]

indeed i should call him up again and see how hes holdin up.

 

[Melt]

update on the guy who hit him

R35553HV6 has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled
- ~ URGENT! ~ Your PRayers are needed for WickedFX - in the NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA forum of V6 Performance.net Forums.

This thread is located at:
http://www.v6performance.net/forums/showthread.php?t=71717&goto=newpost

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
Just a follow up update for Rick's case I stumbled upon today. I called
him and he's getting by. Maybe we could take him out one of these days
and chill in the east bay area somewhere?

By Mike De La Cruz
MDELACRUZ@MERCEDSUN-STAR.COM
Last Updated: June 23, 2006, 02:35:27 AM PDT

A 19-year-old man was sentenced to prison on Thursday for a two-
vehicle accident in which a Vacaville woman was killed earlier this year.

Brandon Viveiros of Merced was sentenced to the maximum term of five
years and four months for the accident that killed 26-year-old Winka
Kwok, a passenger in a 2000 Honda Accord.

The fatal accident occurred April 2 on northbound Highway 99 south of
Applegate Road, when the Accord was hit by the 1998 Honda Prelude that
Viveiros was driving.

The impact pushed the Accord off the road where it struck a tree
causing major injuries to Kwok and the driver, Richard Swigger, 26, of
Vacaville.

Viveiros fled from the scene of the accident and was later apprehended
by Atwater police. Kwok was taken by air ambulance to a Modesto
hospital where she died.

Viveiros earlier pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter, driving
while under the influence of alcohol causing death or injuries, felony
hit-and-run resulting in death or injuries, driving on a suspended
license, and driving without proof of insurance.

During the period allowed by the court for comments from the audience,
the victim's mother, Liza Kwok, and the victim's aunt, Brenda Hom,
addressed the court.

Liza Kwok, holding a large montage of her daughter's family and
friends, told the court that ever since her daughter died, the family
constantly thinks about her day and night.

"Anda always helped us with everything no matter how big or small,
especially when we were sick or down, and she made a promise to take care
of us for the rest of our lives. But because of Brandon's carelessness,
our hopes and dreams are destroyed," she said.

Brenda Hom, in asking for the maximum sentence, told the court that
because Viveiros was irresponsible and disregarded the law, her niece is
gone.

"She had a promising future, an architect who graduated from the UC
Berkeley, and now everything has vanished. Brandon's life may not be
precious , but Anda's was. If justice prevails, Anda can rest in peace," she
said.

Kirk McAllister, a Modesto attorney representing the defendant, agreed
it was a tragic accident, but reminded the court that at the time of
the accident it was raining very hard.

"This is an accident that could well have happened even if Brad had no
alcohol," the attorney said.

Viveiros, asking to address the victim's family, had tears in his eyes
as he faced them, saying he was very, very sorry for what happened to
their daughter.

"I think of what I did to you every single moment," he sobbed.

Merced County Superior Court Judge Brian McCabe told the audience this
was a very tragic incident, and that the court was very saddened to see
such a bright life extinguished.

In handing down the maximum sentence, the judge noted the court's
purpose was not to be punitive, but to be fair.

He told Viveiros that he would have to serve his punishment, but that
time would fly and he would be back with his family.

Merced County Deputy District Attorney Rob Carroll, who prosecuted the
case, agreed with the judge.

"This was a very trying matter, and everybody hopes Brandon will do his
time and has learned his lesson."

Reporter Mike De La Cruz can be reached at 385-2474 or
mdelacruz@mercedsun-star.com.

 

[Declectic]

and justice is served

 

[Melt]

kinda .... only 5 years? I mean i know its the max but youd think they would tack on some other s**t since not only was he drunk he had no lic or insurance .... i wonder if her family is gonna take him to civil court? The worst is the guys defense attorney talkin bout the accident coulda happened in the rain if the guy was sober .... come on.

 

[Dark]

I dont think i ever really met the guy, but i send my condolences...(sp)

 

[NOFX]

This is a sad case. Not even just the events that took place, but the way things seem to have been handled.

Kirk McAllister, a Modesto attorney representing the defendant, agreed
it was a tragic accident, but reminded the court that at the time of
the accident it was raining very hard.

"This is an accident that could well have happened even if Brad had no
alcohol," the attorney said.

.......

He told Viveiros that he would have to serve his punishment, but that
time would fly and he would be back with his family.

None of this had to be said and I highly doubt that things would have turned out the same had he been sober. I'll admit that I don't know the specifics of the case, but when you're sober you have better reaction time, etc. Was it total verhicle failure that the defense attorney is blaming this on then? Since he seems to think the driver being drunk or sober has little to do with it?!?!

 

[Melt]

None of this had to be said and I highly doubt that things would have turned out the same had he been sober. I'll admit that I don't know the specifics of the case, but when you're sober you have better reaction time, etc. Was it total verhicle failure that the defense attorney is blaming this on then? Since he seems to think the driver being drunk or sober has little to do with it?!?!

The Viveiros car swerved into the path of the Accord, striking the left side of the Swigger car, pushing it off the highway and continuing off the paved road, the officer said.

Franks said the front end of Swigger's car struck a tree, causing major front end damage.

.... so the tires didnt slip or anything like that weather related ... the guy was swerving about, consistent with being sloshed.