Local crisis intervention volunteers are helping people grieve, including the witness to a crash in Chicano Park that killed four people last week.
While law enforcement investigates the scene of the deadly crash, crisis intervention volunteers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) have been called in to help witnesses and those who were injured.
"They're definitely called out under the worst circumstances. They're never called out when things are going well," said Lt. Scott Wahl with SDPD.
The volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to offer their help in incidents like this one.
On Oct. 15, Richard Sepolio, 24, drove his pick-up truck off the Coronado bridge into a crowd gathered at Chicano Park. The crash injured several and killed four people—married couple Cruz Elias and AnnaMarie Contreras, Andre Christopher Banks and his girlfriend Francine Denise Jimenez.
Sepolio had been driving under the influence of alcohol during the crash.
Community and family members have been gathering at the park since the incident to mourn and remember the victims of the crash.
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"Anything from suicides, to homicides, to SIDS deaths or young children who have died. They deal with the most traumatic and stressful situations you could imagine," Lt. Wahl said, speaking of the volunteers.
Family of the victims killed in the crash say they are thankful for the volunteers and their dedication to helping others.
"They were here all day and they were helping people, talking people through it. It's one part of a whole ecosystem that seems to be very apparent here in San Diego where when a crisis occurs, there's a lot of people here to help," said Jacob Contreras, nephew of victims Cruz and AnnaMarie Contreras.
The volunteers receive 40 hours of crisis training.
Over the last three months, they've helped nearly 850 people in our community. If you’re interested in learning more about the program or would like to volunteer, click here.
