Sylmar High Ballplayer Dies in Auto Accident

The Sylmar High baseball team will attempt to cancel its games this week after one of its players died in a traffic accident early Saturday, Sylmar baseball Coach Gary Donatella said.

Ryan W. Vela, 17, of San Fernando died at 1:45 a.m., five minutes after the car in which he was a passenger was struck by a Los Angeles police car, Officer Duane Potts said.

The car, a Volkswagen bug, was turning north onto Laurel Canyon Boulevard off the 118 Freeway eastbound off-ramp when it was broadsided by a police car heading south at between 35 m.p.h. and 40 m.p.h, Potts said.

The driver of the Volkswagen, a 17-year-old Sylmar boy, was arrested on suspicion of felony manslaughter and released to his parents, Officer Bill Mulvihill said.

Two other passengers in the Volkswagen were injured in the accident. Peter Amador, 18, of Sylmar, also a member of the baseball team, suffered a fractured left scapula, and Jose Gomez, also 18 and of Sylmar, suffered head injuries, Potts said.

Vela, a senior who started in right field for the Spartans, had transferred to Sylmar from San Fernando High last spring and had helped the team to a 6-4 overall record, 2-3 in East Valley League play. Through the first eight games, Vela had nine hits in 20 at-bats for a .450 average and had scored seven runs.

“He was a great kid,” Donatella said, “just a neat kid to be around.”

Donatella said he met with the Sylmar team Saturday afternoon in the school library. “The kids found out this morning what happened. . . . I personally felt there was no way we could play Monday,” Donatella said. “(We’re) pretty much in shock.”

Sylmar was scheduled to play Valley Pac-8 Conference rival Monroe on Monday and Wednesday of this week.

Donatella said Saturday that he had been trying to get in touch with Monroe baseball Coach Kevin Campbell in an attempt to cancel the games.