Two Seniors Hit, Killed by Pickup Truck : Tragedy: Costa Mesa had plans for traffic signal at busy crosswalk where accident happened, but other jobs had priority.

Two senior citizens were killed early Tuesday when a pickup truck plowed into them as they crossed a busy intersection that was slated for a traffic signal a year ago but has yet to receive one.

The accident occurred about 6:20 a.m. at the troublesome T-intersection at Meyer Place and West 19th Street, where a 25-year-old woman was seriously injured by a car in October, 1990. That accident resulted in a $400,000 lawsuit against the city, which is still pending.

City officials said they had been planning to install a traffic signal at the junction but had not done so because of other higher priority projects.

Tuesday’s tragedy happened as Fred B. Young and Patricia E. Crowell, both 78, and their friend Madeleine Baebler), 87, were returning home to Bethel Towers retirement center after their morning breakfast ritual--hot cakes and sausage at McDonald’s Restaurant.

They stepped into the marked crosswalk apparently unseen by a 25-year-old driver, who was driving east on West 19th Street in a pickup truck, police said. According to investigators, he had moved into the fast lane to pass a car that had slowed down at the approach to the crosswalk.

“He said he didn’t even see the pedestrians because the sun was in his eyes,” said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Jim Watson.

The impact knocked Crowell out of her white tennis shoes, propelling her about 50 feet. Young was flung about 70 feet. Both suffered massive internal injuries and were taken to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead soon after arrival. Baebler, who had crossed ahead of them, was not injured.

Estrella Bugarin, 51, of Costa Mesa, who was working at the drive-through window at McDonald’s, called 911 when she saw what had happened. “I almost cried,” she said. “Every morning they were here. . . . They were very, very nice.”

Police said they are not sure how fast the driver, who was on his way to work, was traveling in the 35-m.p.h. zone. There were no skid marks, police said.

The driver was questioned and released, Costa Mesa police spokesman George Wilson said, adding that the case will be referred to the district attorney’s office to determine whether misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter charges should be filed.

Baebler, who said she met Young and Crowell in the Bethel Towers lobby each morning at 5:45 a.m. for their walk to McDonald’s, was in a state of shock after the accident. “All I can see is them lying there,” she said. “Everybody thinks it’s a miracle that I got over.”

The accident weighed heavy on the minds of residents of the 18-story Bethel Towers.

“They were family, they were loved members,” said Judith Weatherspoon, Bethel Towers administrator. “It affects us deeply.”

Friends described Young as a “perfect gentleman” who was quick to help female friends down curbs and accompany them on errands to make sure they would be safe.

Young’s daughter, Cassandra Randall of Fountain Valley, said her father, a quiet man, often reminisced about the old days.

“He just loved the days when everything was going smooth, before it became chaotic,” Randall said tearfully.

Her father was a prizefighter for 15 years in the 1930s, said Randall. His fights would take him to San Bernardino and to Oakland and other towns in the Bay Area, where he later lived with his wife and five children.

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Young was the oldest of 21 children and helped paint the Golden Gate Bridge when it was constructed in the mid-1930s, Randall said. He was also a self-taught cook and had worked at the prestigious Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.

Randall said her father worked a lot of side jobs, but his favorite was as a chef. She recalled him telling stories of how he worked at the Bohemian Grove, where he said he once cooked for the President and other dignitaries.

Services for Young will be held at the San Bruno Funeral Home in San Bruno, Calif., on Thursday, Randall said. He will be buried beside his wife at Olivet Memorial Park in Colma.

Crowell, known fondly as “Cookie,” had worked part time at Mother’s Market and Kitchen in Costa Mesa for the last 12 years. She was a shareholder in the business.

“She just loved Mother’s and she would tell us so many times that she would pay us to work here,” said Jill Ricker, manager of the market’s restaurant. “She was the easiest person to love. I’m just devastated.”

The loss of her husband many years ago and the deaths of other loved ones had taken a toll on Crowell. But colleagues said she was a strong person, “young at heart,” and always had a hug and kiss for friends. In a recent biography for a Mother’s Market photo album, she described herself as “vibrant and very friendly” and said she liked to attend “self-help seminars, go to movies and eat at great restaurants.”

“She was our senior mother,” said Bruce Macgurn, chief executive officer of the market. “She had so many friends. She was such a great ambassador for Mother’s.”

Funeral arrangements for Crowell were pending.

Officials at Bethel Towers said they have been asking the city to put a stoplight at the Meyer Place-19th Street intersection for several years. Some residents said they are afraid to cross the busy street as they try to reach the nearby Costa Mesa Senior Center, restaurants and other businesses.

The City Council last May approved $140,000 to install a traffic light at the intersection, but the project was not scheduled to get under way until July of this year because of a lack of funds and other, more pressing priorities, city officials said.

City officials said they could not immediately provide a list of injury accidents at the intersection.

However, according to court records, Consuelo Acevez of Costa Mesa was hit by a car in the crosswalk after eating at McDonald’s in 1990.

Acevez remained in a coma for nearly three weeks, according to her attorney, Kevin Hayden. She filed suit against the city, alleging that the crosswalk was poorly marked, resulting in a dangerous condition.

City transportation director Peter Naghavi said the intersection is on a list of a dozen that need stop lights because of heavy traffic. However, he said, until recently the city did not have the money to erect a signal light at Meyer Place, near Costa Mesa’s state Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Although the money was finally approved by the council, he said, officials had not yet put the project out for bid because of the lengthy state and local approval process and a heavy workload.

“We have tons of other projects that we are going through with,” Naghavi said. “This isn’t the only one. Each one has its own priorities and process that we go through.”

Fatal Crosswalk The Costa Mesa crosswalk where an elderly couple were fatally struck by a pickup truck Tuesday has no traffic signals or stop signs. The City Council recently approved the installation of a signal for this crossing.