The parents of a Manhattan Beach teen killed by a speeding driver is trying to raise awareness about his death, and what they see as a dangerous stretch of road in their neighborhood.
Ford Savela was an 18-year-old senior student at Mira Costa High School when he was hit by a speeding car. The driver of the speeding car ran away, but he was eventually caught and is currently charged in the teen’s death.
But Savela’s death did not get much attention: the deadly crash happened on Jan. 7, 2025 as the Palisades and Eaton fires were raging, dominating headlines and pulling community resources.
A memorial is set up for the late teen at the corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and 3rd Street, but many people who stop by at the memorial do not seem to know what had happened more than a year ago.
The teenager’s parents said they are torn, not just from the loss of their son, but what they feel was like inaction about safety on Sepulveda Boulevard, also known as PCH.
The month before Savela’s death, a pedestrian was struck and killed on Sepulveda Boulevard, half a mile away. Four months after Savela’s death, another high school student, Braun Levi, was killed by a suspected speeding DUI driver on Sepulveda, two blocks away.
“We don’t want this to become another situation like Malibu where it takes 54 fatalities before they finally recognize they have a problem with this section of road,” James Savela, the teen’s father, said.
The Braun Levi case triggered some action by the city of Manhattan Beach: city officials have posted about improving pedestrian access and speed and DUI enforcement. However, the Savela family wants more to be done.
Months after Savela’s death, college accepted letters arrived. The teen who wanted to become a science teacher or park ranger was accepted into his dream school, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“He truly led with his heart every day. He cared deeply about how he made people feel. He wanted everyone to feel included. He was truly a light. He was really, really smart, super witty, adventurous,” Ashley Savela, the late teen’s mom, described.