Survivor of Crash Told Driver to Slow

Eric Freeman spent the evening of May 23 like many teens do a month before their high school graduation.

He went to a house party and then hung out with friends at Bayview Park, drinking beer and cocktails of vodka and lemonade. He directed most of his attention that night to his girlfriend, Amanda Arthur.

But shortly after Freeman and nine friends from Newport Harbor High School crammed into a Chevy Blazer, he was “thrown back and forth a little,” he testified Monday in court.

Three times, Freeman testified, he told the designated driver, Jason Rausch, to slow down. Each time, Freeman’s voice grew louder. The last time, he said, he added profanity.

Seconds later, the sport-utility vehicle crashed on Irvine Avenue. Donald “Donny” Bridgman was killed, and two others, Daniel Townsend and Arthur, suffered severe head injuries. Several others in the truck received cuts and bruises.

A preliminary hearing began Monday in Harbor Municipal Court to determine whether Rausch should stand trial on one felony count of vehicular manslaughter and two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving. If he is convicted of the charges, Rausch, 18, could face up to six years in prison.

“I was concerned that we were going to crash,” Freeman testified. “I knew we were going too fast to make that curve.”

Rausch’s attorneys say poor road conditions and a Blazer customized with oversized tires caused the fatal accident. Prosecutors did not say in court how fast Rausch was driving, but law-enforcement reports have estimated it at between 55 and 63 mph. The speed limit posted along the S-curves of Irvine Avenue is 35 mph.

Other drivers in the area that night testified that they, too, feared what would eventually happen to the passengers in the Blazer.

David Zito, on his way home from a catering job at UC Irvine, said he spotted the truck behind him and watched as it sped up to pass him.

“I was very concerned that I didn’t want to be involved in what may happen--that the car may lose control,” he said.

He slowed his Honda Accord, he said, and began pumping his brakes to alert his business partner, Casey Clark, who was driving behind him. She also saw the Blazer coming behind her.

“I thought, ‘Jesus, this guy must be in a hurry or I hope his wife is having a baby,’ ” Clark said.

As the Blazer rounded the curve, Clark said, she saw it rock a bit and then lost sight of it. In another glimpse, the tail of the Blazer was in the air, the front of the vehicle had hit the median and debris was flying, she said.

Five hours of testimony elicited emotion from those in the court room, especially the mothers of the teens involved. Vickie Bridgman, Donny’s mother, sat in the front row surrounded by her parents and her daughter, Danielle. Bridgman was close to tears during most of the testimony and declined to comment.

Outside the courthouse, Grant Sanchez stood holding a sign that read: “This was an accident, not a crime.” Other signs read: “Our prayers are with you, Jason,” and “Prosecute criminals, not victims.”

Sanchez said the signs were to give public support to Rausch, who attends Orange Coast College and plays on the football team.

Because Vickie Bridgman is a deputy district attorney in Orange County, the case is being prosecuted by Deputy State’s Attorney General Jim Dutton, who usually works in San Diego. And Superior Court Judge Everett W. Dickey was selected because four judges in Municipal Court have ties to relatives or attorneys of the accident victims.