Carpe Diem grad killed in car crash in California

A Yuma teen died in a single-vehicle car accident near Julian, Calif., Thursday night, according to California Highway Patrol officials.

The CHP confirmed Saturday that Shaun Cover, 17, died when the Mustang he was a passenger in lost control and wrapped around a utility pole on southbound California state Highway 79, north of Sunrise Highway, at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The Mustang was being driven by Torre David Bailey, 18, of Alpine, Calif., according to a CHP news release on the accident.

According to the release, CHP investigations show Bailey was unable to negotiate a left-hand curve on the road due to the excessive speed of his 1986 Ford Mustang.

CHP officials state that alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor in this accident.

Bailey was taken via air ambulance to Palomar Hospital with pain in his back.

Cover had just graduated from high school this June. He was part of the first graduating class from the Carpe Diem E-Learning Community charter high school.