STORM2K

Boy's Santa letter lost in crash, but CHP gets it there

By Amy Raisin Darvish, Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- As crews sifted through the wreckage of a triple big-rig crash last week that tied up freeway traffic for hours and sent a young boy to the hospital, a patrol officer discovered a fuel-stained letter addressed to Santa Claus.
California Highway Patrol Officer George Martinez found the letter about an hour after Joey Frias, 8, was airlifted to a hospital from the scene of Friday's crash on the Golden State Freeway in Valencia. Joey, who had been in the sleeping berth of one of the semis involved in the crash, had suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and cuts to his head.

On the envelope, in a child's hand in blue ink, was written: "Happy Christmas!!! Happy Christmas!!! To Sant Claus from Joey." The envelope also featured a drawing of a single present under a Christmas tree decorated with little ornaments.

Martinez made up his mind: Whatever gift was requested in the envelope, Joey was going to get it.

He talked it over with other officers at the Newhall station, who agreed.

On a sheet of paper in the envelope, partially soaked with the diesel fuel that had covered northbound lanes of the freeway after the crash, Martinez read two words in big block letters: "CD Player."

"It was a child's wish list to Santa," said Officer Wendy Hahn of the Newhall station.

Martinez and the others were touched that the list was only two words long. They decided on more.

As Joey lay in a bed at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, a collection was under way at the station for the boy.

Hahn helped collect nearly $200 in donations, used to buy a portable CD player with headphones, a boombox CD player and four CDs, including the movie soundtracks to "Shrek 2" and "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie."

Officers from the Newhall station planned to surprise the boy at the hospital Tuesday morning, but Joey had been discharged the night before. His father -- who was driving one of the big rigs and was treated for moderate injuries -- and mother were eager to take their son home to Vallejo in Northern California.

Hahn contacted the CHP station in Vallejo and filled in the officers about the crash, the letter and the presents. She shipped the gifts Tuesday via UPS to the Vallejo station, where the staff will then deliver the boxes to Joey.

"When I told the UPS lady what we were doing, she refused to let me pay for shipping," Hahn said. "They shipped the gifts for free."

The shipment is scheduled to arrive in Vallejo on Thursday, Hahn said.

"Joey has no idea about the presents," Hahn said. "I spoke to his mom, and she said she didn't even know he had written a Christmas wish list."