Well-Known Local Radiologist Dies In Newport Beach DUI Crash
Drunk driving accidents are unfortunately all too common in the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa area. Unfortunately, a drunk driving accident over the weekend took the life of a well-known local radiologist. According to an article in The Orange County Register, 64-year-old Michael Aung Sein of Newport Coast died in a rear-end crash involving an allegedly drunken driver. Elijah Ferguson, 21, of Santa Ana was arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, the newspaper reported.
Ferguson rear-ended Sein’s Aston Martin when it was stopped at a red light on MacArthur Boulevard. According to his colleagues at the Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana, Sein was a “highly talented radiologist.” Sein succumbed to severe injuries suffered in the crash and was pronounced dead at Hoag Hospital, the article said. His wife, Grace Sein, is in the hospital with head injuries, the article said.
Ferguson apparently got away with a broken ankle. Police are still investigating the case, but officials told the Register that both speed and alcohol were dominant factors in this accident.
What a horrible tragedy for the family! Drunken driving continues to be one of the most senseless and unconscionable acts that’s hard to understand for a person with sense and education. Despite numerous public awareness campaigns that start at the high school level and everyday reminders of tragedies in the news media, these crashes continue to happen.
Often times, it’s not just the drivers but also the bar and restaurant owners that serve them with alcohol that are responsible for these tragedies. Some establishments do not care enough or do not train their employees not to serve alcohol when someone is already intoxicated. It’s time that we as a society held these establishments liable for their actions.
Lawsuits filed against such establishments by victims’ families are not at all uncommon. However, it takes a personal injury firm with resources and fire power to conduct such complex investigations.
These businesses must remember that they have a responsibility to the community and their patrons. And if they don’t remember, we need to remind them by holding them accountable for their actions.
Comments
Hello All,
To put everyone's mind at ease, this accident hits close to home. Dr. Michael Aung Sein was my uncle. Before I mention the details of the accident, I would like to take a moment and describes the type of person he was.
Dr. Michael Aung Sein was a Burmese immigrant who worked his way through medical school in Burma and started his residency in Chicago over 35 years ago. He was married to my mom's oldest sister, Grace S. Sein, and left behind 3 very bright children as well. I remember my mom telling me of an incident when I was 6 months old in Feb of 1978, my mom and I visiting my uncle and his family in Chicago. I was near death with a rare case of spinal meningitis and had a temp. of a 104 degrees and my mom couldn't afford to pay the medical bills for the surgery I needed to survive. My Uncle Michael had a colleague who helped save my life and as well, my uncle and aunt payed for my medical bills to afford the surgery. For that, I will always be grateful for my uncle saving my life.
Unfortunately, due to his untimely and unnecessary accident, I can never repay my uncle for all he has done for me and I wish I could have saved his life in return. I will always have to live with that painful feeling. Another pain as well is that he passed away on the same day as my wife's birthday.
My Uncle Michael was a very humble and hardoworking man. He never took his life for granted. He appreciated everything he earned and never flaunted what he had. He loved his family dearly. He never deserved to be the victim of this tragic accident.
The accident that occurred on that horrific night by that irresponsible human being happened while my uncle and aunt were waiting at a red light. It was late at night so there was no traffic at all and there were 4 lanes at that street on Macarthur Blvd. so speed would play into effect. Anyways, the wreckless drunk driver was going at least 60 mph when he rear ended my uncle's 2-seater sportscar. The fact that it was a rear-end collision, the airbag did not deploy. Plus, the sportscar is small, so the impact was much worse then say if they were in their Mercedes. He passed away on his way to the hospital. I only hope he was unconscious right after the impact so he didn't have to suffer.
My Aunt Grace suffered multiple injuries but are non-life threatening. She relied heavily on my Uncle Michael for moral and emotional support. Thus, since his passing, she's obviously very devastated and will need the support of her 3 children forever. They loved each other so much and never left each other's side. She does not know how to survive without my uncle by her side but I hope she will persevere through her children and grandchildren.
My uncle never got to say goodbye to his family. He left behind his wife, 3 children, his granddaughter and one more granddaughter on the way next month, his mom, his brother and 2 sisters, and many other friends and family who loved him dearly. He didn't deserve this kind of fate and I hope this is a lesson to all to be more responsible when you decide to think about driving when under the influence.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Uncle Michael's loving nephew
Posted by: Gilbert Gaw | October 14, 2008 3:44 PM