Memorial at Marine honors Henry Pearson and other victims of drunk driving accident

By Hannah Proctor
Staff Writer

The death of three people on April 9, 2009 and the miraculous survival of one shook the Mira Costa community as a former student fell victim to a drunk driver.

The lone survivor of the crash, Jon Wilhite, friends and family of those that passed, and many people from the Manhattan Beach community gathered at Big Marine Baseball Park on Feb. 11 to honor the memory of Los Angeles pitcher Nick Adenhart, Mira Costa alumn Henry Pearson, and Courtney Stewart before a winter baseball game with Mira Costa and El Segundo.

Since September of 2009, former Manhattan Beach Little League President Tom Tyrer has tried to get a memorial erected in honor of those in the accident. Tyrer’s goal was finally achieved as the community gathered to hear stories of the three that did not survive and hear Wilhite’s hopeful words.

“We want people to be able to look at someone like Jon Wilhite, who had his whole life changed. Now the way that he’s responded and the positive outlook that he’s brought is really inspirational,” Tyrer said.

In honor of Pearson playing baseball for Mira Costa, coach Cassidy Olson retired Pearson’s jersey number 12, and a scoreboard was dedicated to him last year. The Costa team has also worn the initials “HP” on the sides of their hats since the tragedy.

At least one friend or family member spoke of the three lives that were lost by one man’s actions. Adenhart had been a rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The night of the accident, Adenhart had pitched the best game of his career against the Oakland A’s. His friend and Angels teammate, Jered Weaver, spoke in honor of his late friend.

“Nick [Adenhart] was a great friend of mine,” Weaver said. “I didn’t get to meet everyone that was involved in the accident, but I know now any friend of Nick’s was a friend of mine.”

As Wilhite walked to the pitcher’s mound, he was greeted with thunderous applause. He was internally decapitated during the accident, an injury with only a 4% chance of survival. He spoke eloquently of his friends and caught the ceremonial first pitch of the Mustangs’ game.

“The monument is going to start the dialogue at a young age, then kids are impressionable when they’re young,” Wilhite said.