A Christmas Story director killed by drunk driver

[Miss Neecerie]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crash5apr05,0,6240856.story?coll=la-home-headlines


Film director Bob Clark and his son Ariel were killed in an early morning collision along a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, authorities said.

Clark directed the classic holiday film "A Christmas Story" in 1983 and was the producer of the "Porky's" films, along with about two dozen other features.

The crash was reported about 2:20 a.m. on PCH just south of Bay Club Drive. Police said Clark, 67, of Pacific Palisades, and his son, who was 22 and lived in Santa Monica, were pronounced dead at the scene.

LAPD investigators said Clark was driving a 1997 Infiniti Q-30 sedan southbound on PCH when the driver of a GMC Yukon, Hector Velazquez-Nava, 24, of Los Angeles swerved and hit the Clark vehicle head-on.

Very sad indeed....tragic.

One of the best films of all times, for the holidays.

 

[celtic]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crash5apr05,0,6240856.story?coll=la-home-headlines


Film director Bob Clark and his son Ariel were killed in an early morning collision along a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, authorities said.

Clark directed the classic holiday film "A Christmas Story" in 1983 and was the producer of the "Porky's" films, along with about two dozen other features.

The crash was reported about 2:20 a.m. on PCH just south of Bay Club Drive. Police said Clark, 67, of Pacific Palisades, and his son, who was 22 and lived in Santa Monica, were pronounced dead at the scene.

LAPD investigators said Clark was driving a 1997 Infiniti Q-30 sedan southbound on PCH when the driver of a GMC Yukon, Hector Velazquez-Nava, 24, of Los Angeles swerved and hit the Clark vehicle head-on.

Very sad indeed....tragic.

One of the best films of all times, for the holidays.

such a loss.

that's definitley one of my all-time favorites.

he will be missed.

 

[RondoHatton]

Ahem... Drunk, No CDL

Drunk and no CDL... what swell young people we have to contend with in public. Condolences to the family and loved ones.

 

[Michaelson]

My heart just sank when I read this.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Earp]

Very sad news. Feelings for me are similar to when I heard the news of the passing of Jean Shepherd. I was just commenting on that movie in the Radio Forum. When I was a kid a lot of things still looked like they did in that movie. I wore clothes like the ones the kids wore in that movie. All the clothes and interiors in that movie were quite authentic and the kitchen in Ralphie's house was dead on accurate. It really made me nostalgic. I was always thankful that Bob Clark was the director on that film.

 

[Michaelson]

I grew up in a small river/railroad/steel town on the Ohio River during the late 50's. Our town hadn't changed in 50 years, and it wasn't until the downturn of the mid to late 60's and the Viet Nam war did things finally come an end.

I WAS the little brother in that movie, and knew everyone in the program, as there was a duplicate character in my life growing up as a youngster. Our 'bully' was named Jim Bob Collet. How's THAT for a name for the school 'tough'?

I was not aware Jean Shepherd had passed.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[jake_fink]

Just came in to post this myself. Very sad news. His other Christmas film, Black Christmas, was just remade right here in Canada where Christmas Story was (mostly) shot.

I always hoped he'd make another film.

 

[Doh!]

A father who made one of the best Christmas movies ever and his son die, while the drunken, SUV driver lives...

There ain't no justice in this world.

 

[Lady Day]

A father who made one of the best Christmas movies ever and his son die, while the drunken, SUV driver lives...

There ain't no justice in this world.

I believe in karma, I think it will come back to the driver. So so sad.

LD

 

[John in Covina]

Sad news indeed.

A Christmas Story, allows those of us old enough to wax nostalgic for what we had and those that are too young, can pine for what they missed.

I too was the younger brother and every time I see Ralphie pulling Randy back to pass him on the way upstairs I relive it too, my older brother did that everytime until I was about 10.

I love their tree, the ritual of buying and decorating. Real tinsel, the color coated lights, man it was a beauty, a little over done but great all the same. (I still need a string of Christmas Tree "Bubble Lights" those always fascinated me as a kid.)

The Old Man. I still morne the passing of Darin McGaven, too.

Tragic events have a hoorific effect on people, and if you have ever been in a situation where things happen so you are just sitting there wishing you could "take it back" undo what has been done, it is self torture. So we may just need to have some pity for the driver, it is a burden he will have to live with for an entire lifetime, the blood of two innocent people on his hands because of bad decision making.