Man killed on 2 Freeway was ‘calm and happy,’ his mother says

The 23-year-old La Cañada Flintridge man who was killed early Sunday morning when he was struck by two cars while he was crossing the Glendale (2) Freeway was “a calm and happy person,” his mother said Tuesday.

Ryder Ahren Buck was standing near the center divider just north of Fern Lane on the northbound side of the freeway at around 5:25 a.m. when, for unknown reasons, he walked into traffic, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Miller.

He was struck by the two vehicles and pronounced dead a few hours later at Huntington Memorial Hospital, Miller said.

One of the drivers was moderately injured in the incident and was released from the hospital on Sunday.

Authorities are unsure why Buck, who was a musician and a 2008 graduate from La Cañada High School, walked across the freeway, Miller said.

No vehicle or other form of transportation was found near the scene, Miller said.

“It’s unknown how [he] ended up on the freeway,” he added.

Buck used music as a form of therapy when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, said his mother, Shelley Buck.

One of his favorite musical groups was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, which he listened to while receiving treatment in the hospital, she said.

He recently returned to school at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood after a year of chemotherapy, she said.

“He was really inspired and charged,” she said. “He was feeling the best he’s ever felt about his life. He was as happy as I think he’s ever been.”

As a singer and songwriter, he performed at several venues in the area.

“He just wanted to share his gifts,” Shelley Buck said. “He was just spreading love through music. I just felt like he had so much more to do and give.”

A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Friday at La Cañada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge.

Officials have not yet determined the cause of death, as an autopsy is pending, Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Tuesday.

An investigation by the California Highway Patrol is ongoing.

--

Follow Tiffany Kelly on Google+ and on Twitter: @LATiffanyKelly.

ALSO:

Undercover prostitution sting nets five arrests in Glendale

Glendale police helicopter under inspection after unscheduled landing

County presents options for Devil’s Gate Dam sediment removal