Bicyclist, 10, Dies After Being Struck by Truck Near Ojai Home

OJAI —  A 10-year-old Ojai boy was killed over the Memorial Day weekend after being struck by a truck while riding his bicycle a few blocks from his Cruzero Street home, authorities said Monday.

David Michael Utter, a Miramonte School fourth-grader and the third baseman for his Little League team, was pronounced dead at Ventura County Medical Center on Sunday night.

He died at 8 p.m. about three hours after suffering multiple injuries as a result of the accident, Deputy Coroner Zelmira Isaac said.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Hugh Thomson, David’s Little League coach, who went to the hospital after receiving numerous calls from David’s teammates.

David, who was wearing a bicycle helmet, had turned onto Loma Drive from a private driveway near El Centro Street when he was hit by a truck driving west on Loma.

The driver, Roberto Ruiz, 27, of Ojai, was not injured and faces no criminal charges related to the accident, California Highway Patrol officials said.

David’s friends and teachers were stunned by the accident, particularly since the boy was known for his intelligence and quick instincts.

“He was always well aware of when he should be somewhere and when he should not,” Thomson said.

It was that skill that made him a desirable baseball player, he added.

“He had always been a highly sought-after player in our Little League,” he said.

David was scheduled to play in his team’s last game of the season Saturday.

Thomson plans to reschedule the game since David’s teammates have been badly shaken by the accident.

Miramonte Principal Lawrence Hartmann said he plans to talk to the boy’s fourth-grade class today about the tragedy.

“He was a bright boy,” Hartmann said of the dark-haired student, whose brother, Greg, is a sixth-grade student at Miramonte School.

“He was a great little guy.”