Blog Post

EMT Student Killed in Drunk Driving Accident in Los Angeles County


May 23, 2008
Topic: Drunk Driving Accidents

Boris Ivshin's family had just 90 minutes to grieve their dead son. He died in a drunk driving accident two days before Passover, a period that prohibits mourning. Even in their interrupted bereavement, this family has set up a memorial fund in their son's name that will go towards the spiritual development of youth in the city.

Boris was a student at the Emergency Medical Technician program at Citrus College. On April 18, Boris was returning home, when the Ford Taurus he was driving collided with a center divider on the 210 freeway. Just then, a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck the front of the Ford Taurus. Boris died at the scene of the drunk driving accident.

The driver of the Cherokee, Jacqueline Cruz, a Fontana resident, was arrested at the scene of the accident. She was first taken to hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the accident, and a blood alcohol test was conducted. She was then charged with drunk driving, felony DUI involving injury and vehicular manslaughter.

In light of the special nature of the timing of the drunk driving accident, which just a couple of days before Passover began, Boris's body was quickly released by the coroner to be buried. His family held a memorial for him on May 18. The family requested that donations to the Boris Ivshin Memorial Fund be made instead of flowers, to commemorate the memory of Boris, a devout Jew.

Boris, his family remembers said, was looking forward to leaving the nest. He was staying with his parents, but had already begun accumulating things that he would need for his new apartment. He is survived by his family - his parents and an older brother.

While his parents try hard to remember the good times and cherish his memory, the woman who was responsible for his drunk driving accident is out on bail. Jacqueline Cruz has posted bail and will be arraigned on June 24 at the Citrus Municipal Court House.

Boris had a bright future ahead of him. He was well on his way to becoming an excellent paramedic, his instructors at the program say. He had also joined a pre med program. When young lives are cut short, you are flooded with "What if?" kind of questions. What if he had lived and saved lives? Healed bodies? Discovered a cure for cancer? An 18-year-old is so full of possibilities.

Boris's family will have many of these unanswered questions to live with. We hope that they consider the possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit that will help them with their fund.

If you have lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.