A veteran teacher and a soon-to-be college graduate were both killed when a driver accused of driving under the influence collided with a vehicle stopped on eastbound Interstate 8 west of Tavern Road.
Angela Cherene August, 25, was one of two people killed in the crash just before 3 a.m. Monday.
The Alpine resident was driving her Toyota Yaris eastbound on the highway when it went out of control and flipped several times.
Moments later, a Chevy Silverado arrived at the scene and, according to the California Highway Patrol, stopped to help the driver.
Jimmy Arrevalo, 59, of El Centro stepped out of the Silverado to help August when another driver came along and struck the Toyota in the roadway according to officials.
Arrevalo was struck and killed according to CHP officers. August was pinned in her vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene according to the San Diego County medical examiner.
Arevalo taught the fifth grade for 34 years and was considered an institution in the small town of Calexico.
“It's very sad what happened, but I can say he died the way he lived, always helping somebody,” said Dool Elementary Principal Liliana Dimian.
Dimian said Arevalo was on his way home to El Centro after visiting his son at UC San Diego. She said his family is in shock.
“They could not believe,” she said. “They were hoping to wake up from this nightmare.”
August was about a mile from her home in Alpine when she lost control of her vehicle.
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"She was my only daughter and she was my best friend," her mother Dawn August said Monday. "She had a lot to live for. She was just so full of life."
August's mother said several relatives were planning on attending a party Saturday to celebrate her daughter's graduation from University of California San Diego.
"Now they're going to be coming for her funeral instead of her graduation party," Dawn August said.
The driver of the third car, Sunny Hall of El Cajon, was arrested by CHP on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Hall, 30, also suffered minor injuries in the accident.
Interstate 8 was closed for several hours during the investigation and cleanup of debris. It has since been reopened.
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