BY KEVIN PEARSON
STAFF WRITER [email protected]
On the other end of the line, miles away in a rehab center, Helen Richardson said thank you to a community that has embraced her in her toughest hours.
Left with a serious brain injury, Helen was the most seriously injured in the May 30 crash at Hemet High. The 16-year-old Hemet High student made a phone cameo at a benefit concert Friday night to raise scholarship money for those injured.
“Thank you for your support,” Helen said over the phone.
Standing next to Young, Helen's mom, Trisha Telezinski, wiped a tear from her right eye.
“I love you guys,” Helen continued. “I can't wait to see you when I get home.”
Weeks ago, such a moment seemed so unlikely.
Helen was in a coma for a week and her recovery will be lengthy. But her mother said Helen is starting to act like a teenager again, and now texts and uses Facebook.
She is walking, but with assistance. Coordination and vision are issues. Still, she may be able to come home in the coming weeks.
“She's smiling, which is a big thing,” Telezinski said. “She's my Helen and I got her back.
“I'm not expecting too much or too little. But she's improving.”
CHP officials say an 18-year old driver, Hemet High student Daniel Carrillo, was driving more than 50 miles per hour and ran a red light when he struck the eight students in the crosswalk.
Carrillo has yet to be charged, but the CHP says that he will likely face multiple crimes.
As a variety of local bands and acts performed, students mingled and families enjoyed a picturesque, warm evening, lying on blankets and sharing stories.
For many families, it was their first chance to connect with others experiencing the same situation.
As she walked around the field in a back brace that had been bejeweled and personalized, Yesenia Estrada met some of the others who were struck in the crosswalk with her, a moment she said would bond them for years to come.
For Estrada, it marked her first social event since the accident and, she said, it was much needed.
“It's amazing,” Estrada said. “We are celebrating all being here.”
Follow Kevin Pearson on Twitter @pe_kevinpearson or online at blog. pe.com/Hemet