Teen killed in SUV rollover had recently turned his life around, parents say
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

Daniel Crane

Those who spent time with Daniel Crane in the final months of his life will tell you the teen was on the road to recovery from his battle with drugs and alcohol.

Just a few months after completing a six-month stay at the SunHawk Academy in St. George, Utah, a boarding school and treatment program for troubled teens, Daniel had acquired a promising apprenticeship, new friends and a longmissing passion for education.

But just how far Daniel would have made it down that new road is something his parents, Victor and Sharon, will never know.

According to Simi Valley police Sgt. Joe May, Daniel, 17, was killed early Sunday morning when the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer he was driving rolled onto its side on Sycamore Drive and slid more than 600 feet on its side before tipping over once more, partially ejecting him from the vehicle and coming to rest on top of him.

A police report states the SUV was traveling "at a high rate of speed" at the time of the crash. Daniel's four passengers, three males and one female age 17 to 19, escaped with minor injuries.

Preliminary evidence, according to the report, suggests that none of the passengers in the SUV, which did not belong to Daniel, were wearing their seat belts at the time of the 2:45 a.m. crash near Morley Street.

May noted there was alcohol found in the vehicle after the wreck, but said the department wouldn't know for sure whether or not any of it was consumed by Daniel until after the Ventura County Medical Examiner's office completes its toxicology reports on the victim.

"We can't make the determination that alcohol was the cause of the (accident) until after that information gets back to us, and sometimes that takes awhile," May said.

Sharon Crane, who teaches drama and English at Simi Valley High, where Daniel spent his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Apollo High, said she wasn't surprised to hear her son was behind the wheel.

"Daniel's the kind of kid that would have offered to drive if one of his friends wanted to leave their car," his mother said. "He always wanted to be the friend who took care of the rest of the group."

Victor Crane said his son, who obtained his driver's license in November, was probably driving the group home from a party.

But, he said, "(Daniel) always wore his seat belt, always. It was a given. That's what surprised me most when I heard about the crash."

Services for Daniel are being held today at 11 a.m. at Cornerstone Community Church, 2080 Winifred St., Simi Valley.

Turnaround

Mitch Schneider, a family friend of the Cranes, still remembers the day four months ago when Daniel came in to interview for an apprenticeship at his body shop- Schneider's Automotive Repair in Simi Valley.

"He told me he really liked structure and he liked to be busy, and he asked me if I minded that he asked a lot of questions," Schneider recalled. "I thought that was atypical for a young man his age."

Like all apprentices at Schneider's shop, Daniel had to earn the privilege of working with a mechanic on a car, a challenge his employer said the teen met without complaint.

"Sometimes the work can be really unpleasant, but he never copped an attitude," said Schneider, who has known Daniel since childhood. "He just loved cars and wanted to learn to work on cars. He was a very quiet, unassuming, nice young man."

Word of the teenager's death, Schneider said, has hit the shop hard.

"Everybody here is just devastated by it. It impacts everybody, and most of us have children," the mechanic said. "On a real personal level, it's enough to really make you want to hug your kids and hold them close."

Sharon Crane held the last report card Daniel received, and she beamed as she shared his grades- five As and one C+. "This isn't what we are used to seeing," she said.

After returning from his stay at SunHawk, Daniel had the option of returning to Simi or continuing his studies at Apollo. He chose the latter, and was set to graduate in June.

"He really found a home (at Apollo), a place where he could find people to relate to," Sharon said. "Daniel told me one night recently, 'I love going to school,' and that's something he never said before."

Victor Crane, a kindergarten teacher at Knolls Elementary, said his lasting memory of his son will be his love of the cycle of the sun.

"He just loved sunsets and sunrises. He felt like they were put on for him," Victor said.

Sharon said she will always cherish the kiss her son gave her before he left on the night of the crash, which for her will always be a symbol of just how far Daniel had come in his fight against substance abuse.

"He kissed me on the cheek and said, 'Mom, I love you,'" she remembered. "When he was on drugs he never used to do that. I really saw how much he was growing up."

In addition to his parents, Daniel's survivors include his sister, Kaylene, a graduate of Simi High.