Nivk Adenhart 1986-2009
It is always hard when it happens.
It is always hard when someone so young, so full of life is so cruelly taken away. Last night it happened again.
Nick Adenhart, a rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels was killed by a drunk driver on his way home after pitching six shutout innings against the Oakland A’s in his Major League debut. The drunk driver, Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, was driving on a suspended license because of a previous drunk driving conviction, and had fled the scene after the accident. He was later arrested and charged with three counts of murder, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence of alcohol. Two other people riding in the car with Adenhart, Henry Pearson, 25 and Courtney Stewart, 20, also died in the accident.
Senseless doesn’t even begin to describe this.
Words cannot even begin to express the emotions I’m feeling. Shock. Sadness. Anger. All of these words pale in comparison to what the Angel orginazation and the Andenhart, Pearson and Stewart families are feeling right about now.
I can imagine that Mothers Against Drunk Driving will have something to say about this in the coming days, as well they should.
I can also imagine that people will want to take out their grief and frustration out on the family and friends of Andrew Gallo, that is something that they should not do.
Not only are the families of the deseased suffering right now, but the family of the driver that killed them is probably suffering their own pain as well. To those of you who have just answered “good, they deserve it” I have this to say to you:
Oh really? Does puninshing his parents, siblings and loved ones do anything but make you feel better at their expense? Does punishing them by yelling at them, throwing rocks at them, hurling curses at them result in bringing the dead back to life? If the answer to those questions is “no” then you are wasting energy that can be better directed in a positive way towards the families of the victims. I implore you to send your well-wishes to them, send them whatever affermations you can, try to attract for them peace and the love of the people now taken from them in their time of grief.
Send positive energy towards the Angel organization as well – they have just lost a comrade, a brother. Think of their pain before your own righteous indignation.
And then when youhave finished with the survivors, try to attract some peace for the Gallo family. They must now live with the burden that their son has done this terrible thing. Remember that they did not force the alcohol into his body, nor did they strap him behind the wheel. They are not responsible for his stupidity, nor should they be made to pay for it.
Another tragic part of this is that now Nick Adenhart has been added to a long list of athletes who were taken before their time. Names like Cory Lidle, Bobby Phills, Bison Dele, Darryl Kyle, Dan Snyder, Ken Caminiti, Donnie Moore, Corey Smith, Marquis Cooper, Reggie Lewis, Steve Prefontaine, Chris Benoit with his wife Nancy and son Daniel, Reggie White, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Korey Stringer, Thurman Munson, Pat Tillman, Payne Stewart, Sean Taylor, Roberto Clemente, Len Bias, and Dale Earnhardt.
It’s not right that they’re gone.
Because it’s always hard when it happens…
Goodnight sweet prince, may flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest...
