40° CLEAR, March crash called homicide, but no arrest
Parents of teen who died complain of inaction; Rohnert Park police say they're awaiting lab results
Last Modified: Monday, October 13, 2008 at 6:00 a.m.
The death of a Rohnert Park teen in a March car crash in which high speed was a key factor remains under investigation more than six months later.
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The Sonoma County Coroner's Office classified the death of 16-year-old Kevin Carr-Grillo as a homicide rather than an accident, suggesting grounds for prosecution.
Rohnert Park police have made it clear they consider the 17-year-old driver a criminal suspect, and said they expect to conclude their investigation soon.
Carr-Grillo's parents say they want the driver, identified by friends and classmates as Tyler Canales, prosecuted for the death of their son.
"They haven't done anything," Michelle Grillo of Rohnert Park said of the police. "He's still running around."
Rohnert Park Public Safety Detective Sgt. Joe Ferronato said lab results he's awaiting from the state could provide the final piece necessary to proceed with the case.
Neither Canales nor his mother, to whom the car was registered, returned calls seeking comment.
Police said the young driver was traveling at least 70 mph in a 35-mph zone as he headed up Camino Colegio toward El Camino Continuation School on the morning of March 20. He lost control as he rounded a curve, sending the Honda Accord into the center median.
The impact catapulted the car end-over-end into the air, where it sheared off the top of a tree at a height of 8 or 10 feet before landing wrecked on the street.
Canales had been licensed for only six weeks and was carrying passengers in violation of his provisional license, which allowed teen passengers only with a licensed adult in the car, police said.
Carr-Grillo was in the back seat and died at the scene. His death certificate states: "The driver of the vehicle was at fault."
The front-seat passenger, Chris Reynolds, 17, lay in a coma for an extended period of time, but has fully recovered, Ferronato said.
Reynolds filed a claim for damages against the city in June, saying he suffered a brain injury, short-term memory loss, emotional distress and fractures.
The City Council in August rejected the claim, which is a necessary prelude to filing a civil lawsuit.
Reynolds also was unavailable for comment.
Canales was treated for minor injuries and returned to school the next day, classmates said.
Post-mortem toxicology tests found THC, the active compound in marijuana, in Carr-Grillo's blood, but police have declined to comment on drug use by others in the car.
Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook said the District Attorney's Office is closely involved with police in the investigation and evaluation of the case.
Carr-Grillo's father, Rick Carr of Avila Beach, said he's had no contact from law enforcement since he received a preliminary report earlier this year.
Carr, who said he spent 15 years in state corrections and law enforcement, said someone needs to be held accountable for his son's death.
"Any time anyone is victimized, in my eyes, something needs to be done," he said.
You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249
or mary.callahan@
pressdemocrat.com.
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Comments
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October 13, 2008 7:07:00 am
artperez-----I was wondering the same thing. I am so glad Canales may not get off scott free for killing his friend. Driving 70 miles an hour, down a city street, is just plain STUPID!!!! I know, a lot of people will say it was an accident and "we all do stupid things". Do stupid things on your own time and by yourself. Don't involve others in your stupidity. Killing someone is much worse than an "accident." It is tragic that this young boy lost his life and his parents have lost a son. What has Canales lost? NOTHING!!!!
Teenagers need to wake up and realize they are not invincible. They also need to be held accountable for their (criminal) actions.
October 13, 2008 7:41:57 am
Society needs to get over the idea that it is murder every time somebody does something stupid and kills some body else. We need to reserve a murder charge for people who kill intentionally. I certainly understand the desire for revenge on the part of the father. Revenge is good therapy. Revenge is closure. But the brain of a 17 year old is not fully developed. We don't let 17 year olds make contracts or drink or make life changing decisions, except when their bodies are need for the war machine. We shouldn't treat this mindless act as a life changing decision. It was an impulse from an immature brain.
October 13, 2008 7:55:23 am
I feel that Tyler broke the law. He should not have been driving without a 25 year old with him since he had passangers. Tradgically the accident killed a wonderful boy. I do feel some kind of punishment should be given. But I also feel it was a terrible accident. Being the parent of a 16 year old I could not image having my child killed accident or not.
October 13, 2008 8:14:25 am
I remember when a student from Montgomery killed 2 kids on Sonoma st. Her mother was a S.R. police officer I don't recall her being charged with a homicide. I agree with hudsonjohnf. The boys parents who got killed want revenge but what if it was their child driving.Teen's think nothing will happen to them. I don't think one of us could look back and say boy were we stuiped back then. My prayers go to both parents in a way they have both lost a child.
October 13, 2008 8:24:21 am
Was he being held hostage? It is a sad fact that teens live in a state of profound naivety about their limits and abilities. They also tend to be thrill seekers and think they are immortal.(I suppose the delusion of immortality helps keep armies full of young fighters.)These kids were both having fun, both are responsible.The young man who died IF he'd been driving (providing he had a license to drive which may be partly why the other was driving in this infortunate accident)could just as well made the same error in judgement as the driver,although he was a passenger this time. It seems more productive for the parents to make a point of raising the community's and primarily kids' awareness of the deadliness of high speed driving and the truth of their mortality. Grief is understandable, it is hard to accept anger at the one who died for being involved in such a stunt, but the idea that "someone must pay" is not always logical or beneficial. He paid. His friend is paying and as the driver should not go off scott-free. Homicide it isn't.Suicide it isn't.It was a stupid childish mistake they both made and not all mistakes have happy endings,or can be fixed.
October 13, 2008 8:29:24 am
The driver was driving ILLEGALLY. Plain and simple. He is solely responsible for the death of Carr-Grillo and the injury of Reynolds.
But what about the parents of ALL of these teens? Why do they allow them to carry passengers, and WHY do the parents of the teens allow them to ride with an inexperienced driver?
I look at the BIG picture here though. These kids were on their way to a continuation h.s. if memory serves me correctly.
And the report that there was marijuana in the blood sample taken on the deceased speaks volumes about the choices these young men were making.
The car wreck is just a symptom of a bigger problem out there.Parents, maybe it's time to look at yourselves and check out what and how you are doing?
BTW, where are the proponents of pot? How many of our young people's lives are being ruined by this mind-numbing, demoralizing DRUG that is still ILLEGAL and should remain so!
October 13, 2008 8:37:49 am
Every time something like this happens and we hear the "immature brain" thing, it makes me think the driving age should be increased to 18.
But on the other hands hundreds of young people drive safely to school and work and elsewhere safely everyday.
The irresponsibility of a few make it look bad for all.
Note: The gal that hit the tree on Sonoma Ave. was driving her mother's car on a suspended license for having been stopped while driving 90 mph. Her mother was not a police officer; it was the mother of one of the young men who was killed that was a police officer.
The young gal got off with a slap on the wrist in my opinion, after already having one serious infraction. Again, in that case, what about the parents? The mother ALLOWED her daughter to use her Mustang to drive to the school. The little brat lied and took her friends on a joy ride, resulting in the death of two of them!
Parents - quit trying to be your kids' best friend. Teach them to uphold the LAW and that their are consequences for their lying and BREAKING THE LAW. Quit enabling your young people to be punks!
October 13, 2008 8:41:56 am
Correction: "there" are consequences...
Also, it wasn't just a joy ride; they were heading downtown to a coffee shop. A total lie from what she told her mother (had to stop by the school and pick up some books, or something to that effect).
Parents should be driving these kids that are in trouble to and from school and anywhere else they have to go, for that matter, or they can ride the bus!
October 13, 2008 8:52:21 am
Although I do feel that some justice should be served on the driver, I feel that homicide is a little much. Of course I was not there but I would bet that both passengers KNEW the driver was on a provisional license but they chose to get in the car anyways. I remember my younger days riding shot-gun as my friends drove well over the speed limit down SR Ave/Mendo. I would egg them on to go faster. Was I stupid? Incredibly. Would I feel like the driver murdered me if he/she crashed? No way. I doubt that these passengers were innocently sitting back telling the driver to slow down
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