FATAL ACCIDENT KILLS JACOBY CREEK 8TH GRADER

An Arcata school is grieving over the sudden loss of an 8th grade student after a fatal collision in Eureka. 14-year-old, David Pickett Jain was struck by a vehicle on Saturday night near “J” and Carson streets. Senior traffic officer Gary Whitmer says when police arrived on scene the victim was in road way. It’s still unsure if he was initially in a crosswalk or not. “There seems to be no foul play, no type of gross negligence no signs of drugs or alcohol were immediately recognized," Said Whitmer. Jain was transported to the hospital, but had to be flown out of the area due to the severity of his injuries. He died a day later. Superintendent and principal Catherine Stone had crisis team members come in to help the students cope. Stone said, “We're all just deeply saddened by this loss. We wish we could back up time and get a do-over."Stone says the eighth grader was best known for his kindness and his math expertise.“He had earned his way to stanford for a competition and we all kind of thought it was foretelling that he would end up there for college some day. He had such a bright career ahead of him," Said Stone. A memorial for David Jain will be held in the coming weeks, but a date has not yet been decided.