SASSEEN, Colin John

Havasu teen dies after being struck by car BY DIANA PARKER Thursday, March 29, 2007 10:01 PM MST A 14-year old Thunderbolt Middle School student died Thursday from massive injuries after he was struck by a car in the 3300 block of Silver Saddle Drive. According to Lake Havasu City Police reports, Colin John Sasseen was skateboarding in the driveway of his home when he stumbled into the street and was struck by a Honda Civic driven by a 50-year-old woman. Police have not released the driver's name. Police and fire units responded to the scene at 2:41 p.m. Sasseen was taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. The driver of the car also was taken to the hospital for undisclosed injuries or trauma, fire Battalion Chief Rick Felish said. There is no evidence that speed or alcohol played a part in the accident, police Lt. Rich Sloma said. An investigation is ongoing, he said, but police do not expect to press charges against the driver. "It was just a quick, tragic accident," Sloma said. Sasseen was a member of the Thunderbolt track team and would have competed in the 800 meter and one-mile races at the first meet of the season this Saturday, said track assistant Max Milton. "He was a great kid. He was bubbly and respectful, and from what I could tell, very popular with the other students at Thunderbolt," Milton said. "I know some of the kids are going to take this pretty hard." Milton said staff will be prepared to address students' reactions to the tragedy at school today. How the track team will deal with a teammate's loss so close to a competition remains to be seen, he said. "I think it's going to be a challenge - of course it is - but we won't know to what extent until we see how things go at practice (today)," he said. Thunderbolt parent Karen Ulrich also remembered Sasseen from the track team. "I was one of his cheerleaders. I was always saying, ‘Go, Colin!'" she said. Ulrich recalled how when Sasseen was struggling on the team last year, the track parents gave him a medal naming him most improved. "He was doing so well this year, we thought he'd win some medals for real. It's very sad," Ulrich said. Ulrich, whose daughter Anjelica is also on the track team, said MySpace message boards are filling with postings about Sasseen and how much friends and classmates miss him. Counselors will be on hand at Thunderbolt today to help students deal with those feelings, said Lake Havasu Unified Superintendent Gail Malay. Malay said she also would ask counseling and crisis response teams at the district's other schools to be alert for children and adults suffering from trauma in the wake of the accident. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family," Malay said.