One of two Woodland teens injured in a Sunday morning crash has succumbed to his injuries.
Andrew Ladd, a 17-year-old Pioneer High School senior who was a passenger in the solo vehicle collision, died Wednesday afternoon, according to Woodland police and family members.
Andrew Ladd. Courtesy photo
“There are no words that can begin to express our sadness over this sudden loss of our son and brother,” Ladd’s family wrote in a GoFundMe page created in his memory. “He had a personality that filled a room and could charm anyone who was blessed enough to cross paths with him. Your life was better if you knew him, and this world is worse off without him.”
Ladd “is giving one last amazing and heroic gift to this world before he leaves,” donating his organs to help save the lives of others, his family said.
The “Team Ladd” GoFundMe page, https://www.gofundme.com/andrewladd, sought to raise $10,000 for Ladd’s medical and funeral expenses, and had exceeded that amount as of Thursday morning.
Woodland police Sgt. Brett Hancock said the driver in the crash, another 17-year-old identified on the fundraising page as “Josh,” remains in critical condition at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
“My understanding is that he’s in bad shape,” Hancock said.
While the cause of the collision remains under investigation by the Woodland Police Department’s traffic unit and an accident reconstruction team, police believe both excessive speed and poor weather were factors in the 12:45 a.m. incident on northbound Pioneer Avenue near Farnham Avenue.
That’s where the driver apparently lost control of his Acura Integra, which crashed into multiple trees on the east side of the roadway, causing the car to split into two.
Both teens were wearing seat belts at the time but still were ejected from the vehicle due to the force of the collision, police said.
A candle-lighting ceremony was held Wednesday night in the parking lot of Pioneer High School, from which Ladd was due to graduate in June.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene