The brother of former San Diego Chargers star Junior Seau was fatally injured Tuesday in a head-on collision with a truck on a roadway near Lakeside, according to the county medical examiner's office.
Savaii Seau, an El Cajon resident, was heading north on Los Coches Road near Lakeview Road in the Glenview area shortly after 2 p.m. when his 2005 Audi A6 drifted into the path of a southbound Helix Water District dump truck being driven by a 60-year-old San Diego man, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The resulting collision left the 56-year-old Seau gravely injured.
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Paramedics took Seau to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, CHP public-affairs Officer Travis Garrow said.
Family members told the CHP that Seau had been accompanied by his wife at the time of the crash. Both she and the truck driver were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor to moderately serious injuries, Garrow said.
Seau's wife and the truck driver were both believed to have been wearing seat belts during the crash, according to the CHP. Seau, however, did not appear to have his seat belt on, the CHP said.
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The cause of the collision was under investigation.
Savaii Seau was a teacher at Warren-Walker, a group of private schools in Point Loma and La Mesa, where Seau worked. The school sent a message from Headmaster Raymond J. Volker to NBC 7 on Wednesday morning that read, in part:
"The hearts of the entire Warren-Walker School community are heavy as we have lost a great human being, teacher and friend today. A fatal car accident has claimed our beloved Coach Seau, who rained love on all of his students, was a bright light in our WWS family, and loved by all. His inspiration, support and incredibly unselfish spirit will be missed by his family as well, and to whom we extend our deepest condolences."
NFL star Junior Seau, who would be 53 if her were still alive, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest in 2012.
The linebacker became a Charger in 1990 and was voted to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1991 to 2002. He averaged 100 tackles a season and nearly seven tackles per game during his 17-year career, according the NFL.
He got his start at Oceanside High School, where he played football as a linebacker. Seau then became a star linebacker at the University of Southern California before he playing for the Chargers. He was with the Chargers until 2003, and then played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. He retired from football in 2009.
Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease at the time of his death, the National Institutes of Health told The Associated Press. Results of an NIH study of Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
This article originally stated that Savaii Seau worked at a Warren-Walker school in Point Loma when, in fact, he was employed on its La Mesa campus. We regret the error. Also: The City News Service contributed to this report — Ed.
