A 23-year-old Maria Carrillo High School graduate was killed when the pickup driven by his brother crashed near San Luis Obispo.
Ian Waldron Ambrose, who graduated in 2003 and was surfing by day and working nights in a restaurant while taking a break from classes at Cuesta College, died Monday night.
He had attended Santa Rosa Junior College for a year before moving to Morro Bay to attend the college near San Luis Obispo with plans of pursuing studies in viticulture, his family said.
His brother Alex Ambrose, 21, had followed Ian, and they moved last fall into a beach-front apartment. Like his brother, he learned to surf.
In the months since then, Alex had described him "as being the happiest he'd ever seen him," said their mother, Jan Ambrose.
"He just said he was so happy, and he was doing everything he wanted to do, and on the last day he said . . . it was the best day of his life," she said.
The two brothers were traveling in the pickup on Highway 101 north of San Luis Obispo shortly after 9 p.m. when the crash occurred, the CHP said.
Alex Ambrose was driving in the northbound slow lane when he suddenly crossed over two lanes and into the path of another driver, authorities said.
The pickup was rear-ended, rolled multiple times and landed on its roof in a southbound lane, where it was struck by an oncoming SUV.
Ian Ambrose, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and killed.
Jan Ambrose said she still can't believe her oldest son, an Eagle Scout, was not belted. Alex, who had his seat belt fastened, suffered only minor injuries, the CHP said.
"It's amazing that Alex is still alive," she said. "I don't know how I didn't lose them both."
Her husband, Don, was expected to return home Thursday night with Alex.
She said Ian, who loved oceanography and often strolled the beach examining sea life and tide pools, had been active in his church youth group.
He loved camping, hiking and the outdoors.
"Happy-go-lucky, all the way," his mother said.
You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at
mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.
