Palisades Father’s Dramatic Story Drives Home Risks of Teen Drinking

Still struggling to cope with a number of deaths related to alcohol or drugs, officials at Palisades High School parked a wrecked car on campus last week and called in a battery of experts to remind students and parents of the dangers of mixing drinking and driving.

The most dramatic moment came when James D. Hoftyzer stepped before a group of students and parents and talked about the death of his son, a Palisades student who was among four 17-year-olds killed in a fiery crash on San Vicente Boulevard in October.

“I’m an alcoholic,” said the heavyset man with the husky voice. “I’ve been sober for 10 years. I’m also the father of Cal Hoftyzer, who was killed in the accident on San Vicente.”

Calvin Hoftyzer died along with Lisa Goldberg, Russell Kantor and Reid Mangels on Oct. 28 when their speeding car hit a tree and burst into flames. Toxicology reports indicated that Kantor, who was driving, Hoftyzer and Mangels had been drinking.

Father Tells Story

In his brief talk before more than 350 people in the Palisades High auditorium last week, Hoftyzer, 57, did not lecture about the dangers of drinking and driving. Instead, he told his own story, using it to illustrate a problem that has become all too familiar in the Palisades, as well as in other communities nationwide.

As a young veteran of the Korean War, Hoftyzer told the gathering, he had seen death up close. He said that when he returned from the war in 1954, he witnessed a tragic car crash in which four young people died. A year later, his brother was killed in a wreck.

“Like most young people, you think you have a suit of armor and that the rules were written for everyone else,” he said. “They are not.”

Hoftyzer said he realized how vulnerable he was when he and his wife, Linda, received the 6:40 a.m. call from the coroner’s office Oct. 29. The voice on the other end of the line was trying to determine if Calvin was one of the victims of the crash.

“I said, ‘For God’s sake, ask if one of them was wearing braces, ask if one of them was a big boy,’ ” he recalled shouting to his wife, who had answered the phone.

As the horror began to set in, Hoftyzer said, he walked outside for some fresh air. He said he found himself clinging to the hope that somehow it was all a mistake and that his son would walk in. The next day, the father said, he picked up Calvin’s personal effects--a scorched key.

“Cal was the kind of kid who would give you a hug and a kiss every night and say, ‘Hey, Jimbo, I’m going to bed,’ ” he said. He was an expert swimmer and an Eagle Scout. “We did everything right by that boy.”

Poor Decision

But, Hoftyzer said, the boy made a poor decision--one that cost him his life.

“He didn’t even have a license,” Hoftyzer said. “He depended upon others for his transportation. . . . I guess it was a bad judgment call that night, he made a mistake by getting into that car, and that is all I want to say about that.”

Hoftyzer directed his closing remarks to the parents in the audience.

“When you go home tonight, put your arms around your kid and give him a big kiss and tell him that’s from big Jim and Linda,” he said.

Hoftyzer’s comments marked an emotional peak to an evening during which several speakers talked about the dangers of drinking and driving. Palisades High has drawn national attention since it was reported that in less than 2 years, 10 students and young residents in the affluent community have suffered violent deaths, many involving alcohol or drugs.

Principal Rejects Idea

Palisades Principal Gerald Dodd rejected the idea suggested by some parents that he permit the car driven by Kantor to be placed on display at the campus as a dramatic illustration of the problems caused by drinking and driving. “I understand the need to make a strong statement, but that would have emotionally traumatized the students,” he said.

He did permit the twisted wreckage of another car, a white 1982 Camaro Berlinetta, to be parked at the curb outside the auditorium last week. A crowd of students surrounded the car to inspect the damage--the smashed-in door, the shattered window and the buckled dashboard. The needle on the speedometer was frozen at 85 m.p.h. French fries and napkins were scattered among the glass and other debris on the floor.

“They brought the car out here to show us that drinking and driving don’t mix. This is hard evidence,” said Devron Lewis, a 17-year-old senior.

In the wake of the October tragedy, students have applied to start a chapter of SADD, Students Against Drunk Driving, Dodd said. The school has a student-run chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous and a safe-rides program that provides transportation home, no questions asked, to students who have been drinking. In addition, the school plans to expand counseling for students suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. A crisis team made up of teachers is attempting to come up with more solutions to the problem.

Designate Sober Driver

Sandy Freeman, co-president of the Los Angeles chapter of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, told an afternoon assembly of students recently that if they are going to drink, they should designate a driver who will stay sober. She said students and their parents should have agreements allowing the students to call any time to get a ride without being blamed for asking. And she said that “under no circumstance should students get into a car when they know the driver has been drinking.”

Freeman, whose daughter was killed Feb. 24, 1986, when her disabled car was struck by a drunk driver, said the problem is not unique to Pacific Palisades. “There is a problem with our society, and it is stupid that we have allowed things to go on this way,” she said.

Students differ on whether lessons have been learned from the tragedies.

“It’s scared a lot of people off,” said Max Graham, 17. “Students are drinking a lot less because they are scared. I know I have been to too many funerals. How many times does it have to happen?”

Tina Donatoni, 15, disagreed. “It was mellow for a while, but now it is back to normal, and people are partying and drinking again,” she said.