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Edward Minot Jr., a 20-year-old Marine with the 1st Maintenance Battalion of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, was involved in a car crash that left one minor dead and two passengers injured. An Oceanside Police Department patrol vehicle was attempting to stop Minot before the deadly crash. Instead of stopping, Edward Minot Jr. sped northwards towards Myers Street. About 30 seconds later, he collided with a Nissan Altima that was headed east on Surfrider Way.
12-year-old Santiago Gaspar, who was a passenger in the vehicle, tragically lost his life in the accident. The driver of the vehicle and Gaspar’s six-year-old younger brother suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The two occupants of the Volkswagen that Edward Minot Jr. was driving also suffered minor injuries. The incident occurred on July 4, 2023. As of now, Mino was arrested and is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
Edward Minot Jr. has been accused of DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter
Edward Minot Jr., who is a native of Mill Spring, North Carolina, is suspected of driving under the influence and of gross vehicular manslaughter, as per the police reports. Speaking about the incident, officials said:
“The officer attempted to effect a traffic stop northbound on Myers Street just south of Pier View Way … The driver failed to yield and immediately sped north on Myers Street at a high rate of speed.”
Noting the veracity of the incident and the unfortunate loss of life it resulted in, Captain Charles Palmer with Camp Pendleton, Edward Minot Jr,'s place of work, stated:
"1st Marine Logistics Group commits itself to high standards for personal conduct, both on and off duty, and will continue to cooperate with the Oceanside Police Department while the incident is being investigated”
The matter is currently still under investigation.
Residents in the neighborhood express shock at Edward Minot Jr.’s rash driving
The accident that led to the loss of life of Santiago Gaspar occurred when he was in a car with his younger brother while their mother was driving in a separate vehicle ahead of them. The victim’s mother is said to have not witnessed the crash. Residents of the neighborhood have reported that the area is not prone to crashes.
Jay Reardon, who was nearby where the crash occurred, noted the same to Fox5:
“This is not a spot for any accident at all. I’ve never seen an accident here”
Ryan Thompson, another resident of the neighborhood, said to the news outlet:
“It kind of sounded like a shipping container being dragged through the alley…all of a sudden there’s a car that’s absolutely destroyed just feet from your bedroom”
Expressing her shock at the incident caused by Edward Minot Jr., Nancy Bellante, another resident of the neighborhood, said to NBC San Diego:
"I don't care if the kid was only 20 years old, it's ridiculous … He killed a child, he ruined a family’s life. That poor little boy is going to be traumatized for the rest of his life and it's just carelessness."
The authorities are currently urging anyone with information regarding the incident to report to Oceanside Police Department Traffic Collision Investigator David Paul at (760) 435-4431.
