A 19-year-old man who was struck and killed by a car while walking home from work three years ago was remembered by the Orange community on Thursday with a special gift to his family.
Aden Uriostegui was killed on Tustin Street and Heim Avenue in Orange by the driver of a pickup truck who had a prior DUI conviction. The suspect was arrested on a murder charge based on his prior conviction.
Before he died, Uriostegui purchased a 1993 Mazda Miata that he wanted to restore. A local Mazda dealership has now donated the restored vehicle to his family, the result of dozens of people pouring their hard work and hearts into the project.
“It’s about keeping Aden’s memory alive through his ideas about what he wanted to do with the car,” said Erik Badillo, service manager at Mazda in Orange.
Car specialists working on the project ordered parts from China, tore apart the frame, heated metal during the restoration and unveiled a beautiful orange vehicle to the Uriostegui family on Thursday. Aden’s brother said everyone in the family is eager to drive the restored car once they brush up on their manual transmission skills.
