Friends and family planned a special memorial ride Saturday in honor of a 25-year-old Clairemont resident who was recently killed in a head-on collision with a suspected drunk driver.
At around 1 a.m. on Dec. 29, Jayme Midlam was killed when DUI suspect April Thompson, 23, crashed head-on into Midlam’s 1972 Volkswagen Beetle on eastbound State Route 52 near the Mast Boulevard exit in Santee.
CHP officials said Thompson was driving her Chevy 2500 pickup truck the wrong way on the road when she fatally crashed into Midlam.
The pickup truck totaled Midlam’s much smaller vehicle and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thompson was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. CHP officials suspected she was driving under the influence of alcohol during the fatal collision.
After receiving treatment for her injuries, Thompson was booked into Las Colinas Detention Facility on DUI charges and gross vehicular manslaughter.
On Thursday, she pleaded not guilty in court to the charges surrounding the deadly crash.
Prosecutors said Thompson had a blood-alcohol level that was double the legal limit when she drove the wrong way on SR-52 over the New Year holiday weekend.
She now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Thompson is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday and then again on Jan. 14.
On Saturday, loved ones fondly remembered Midlam with a memorial ride into Clairemont. The group invited anyone that drives a VW Beetle to join in Midlam’s honor, gathering just before 2 p.m. in the 3400 block of Clairemont Drive.
At the memorial, NBC 7 spoke with a family spokesperson who said Midlam’s grief-stricken loved ones weren't quite ready to comment on his death. A memorial service was held for Midlam at a church on Clairemont Drive, right across the street from where the colorful line of VW Bugs lined up.
A good turnout of VW Bugs joined in the remembrance ride. At it's peak, there were 50 to 60 cars there. The cars boasted signs on their windows with messages for Midlam that read "RIP VW Brother."
Photo Credit: Todd Strain