Elderly Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Teen Motorist

Alcohol was the deadly link Thursday night between two strangers--a 16-year-old high school student and a 74-year-old retired construction worker.

The Alemany High School student, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, had allegedly been drinking with his friends before getting behind the wheel of his blue Chevrolet pickup truck and heading north on Balboa Boulevard, just a few miles from his home, police said Friday.

Meanwhile, Bill C. Smith was making his way back to his apartment at the North Hills Retirement Hotel pushing his liquor purchases in a shopping cart.

As Smith jaywalked across busy Balboa Boulevard near Devonshire Street, he was struck by the pickup, suffering massive body trauma. Six hours after the 9:40 p.m. accident, Smith died at nearby Granada Hills Community Hospital.

The teenage driver was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving, registering a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit, police said. He was later released to his father, who said his son had been troubled by his parents’ recent divorce and was now grief stricken over the accident.

“There is a lot of stress and now this,” his father said, nervously smoking outside their Granada Hills home.

The young driver had two friends in the truck with him, who were not arrested, police said.

The boy, who works after school at a Northridge Fashion Center fast-food outlet, was described by family, friends and co-workers as easygoing and friendly, a skateboarder who stayed out of serious trouble. School officials said he is passing all his classes.

“He’s a real nice guy,” said German Flores, the supervisor at SteakEscape in the Northridge mall, where the teen had worked about three days a week for the past two months. “I’ve had no problems with him.”

He did not work the night of the accident and told his boss Friday he would not be in for a while, Flores said.

The boy’s blue truck sat outside his home Friday, a dent in the pickup’s front the only visible damage to the vehicle.

His father, who owns a wood-working company, said he recently sold their home and will soon be moving. The man said he was struggling to understand what exactly happened Thursday night.

For Smith, a World War II veteran who had lived at the retirement home for about four years, Thursday night began as nights often did. He had dinner and then went out to buy vodka.

In an interview, Smith’s roommate, Ralph Goshorn, 72, said Smith had a daily routine of drinking, napping and smoking cigarettes.

Smith’s son David of Hacienda Heights could not be reached for comment Friday.

Smith apparently was warned by Goshorn and even a fellow pedestrian Thursday not to jaywalk across the busy street.

Police said the pedestrian, who witnessed the accident, said Smith told him that he felt “safer” crossing in the middle of the street.

Said Goshorn: “He never did go to the corner. I kept telling him to go to the corner [to cross], but he said it was closer this way.”

Late Friday afternoon, Smith’s name remained on the door of Room 124, which he had shared with Goshorn for the last eight months. The two used to be avid bowlers, but recently stopped; Smith’s bowling ball sat tucked in a corner near his bed.

Smith always ate three meals a day. He’d eat, go back to his room to smoke a cigarette, then make his special drink: Karasov lemon-flavored vodka and water, Goshorn said.

Smith would have turned 75 on Valentine’s Day.

Shuster is a Times staff writer and Torres is a Times correspondent.