Car Fan Blade Segment Strikes Boy’s Throat in Fatal Accident
A Huntington Beach teen-ager standing near a car’s engine was killed Monday when a fragment from a fan blade broke off and struck him in the neck, severing his jugular vein, authorities said.
The youth, Bryon Bell, 15, of Huntington Beach, was about 12 feet from the car when a 28-year-old brother accelerated the engine and a 4-inch blade fragment flew off and struck the youth in the left side of the neck, Daniel Aikin,an investigator for the county coroner, said.
Aikin said the victim’s brothers had recently installed a rebuilt motor in the car, a 1967 Mustang.
“It hadn’t been running for three weeks. They just put in a rebuilt engine and had got it started when the accident happened,” Aikin said.
The car’s hood was up when the blade fragment flew in Bell’s direction. The accident, which occurred about 3:55 p.m., was witnessed by several family members who had gathered at a home at 16751 Diane Drive, after attending a neighbor’s funeral.
Police Sgt. T. Swan said a Huntington Beach patrol officer gave first aid and summoned paramedics.
Bell was taken to Fountain Valley Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5:05 p.m.
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