Carjacking Victim Connected to Dinuba Accident | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Friday, August 14, 2009

Fresno, CA "The other guy came up behind me and I guess hit me with the gun," said Sperl.

26-year-old David Sperl is still healing from a carjacking that left him injured last Friday night. Sperl was taking a break from his job at the Denny's in Selma, when he says two teenagers approached him in the parking lot, and demanded the keys to his car. He initially said no, and even pushed one of the suspects away. That's when he says one of the teens pulled out a gun.

Sperl said, "So even if I reach or anything, he has time to pull the gun. And then the other guy came around this way, I saw him out of the corner of my eye and he came up behind me real quick, and kind of grabbed me like that, so."

The suspects took off with his wallet, phone, and his 2005 Dodge Neon. He reported the crime to the Selma Police Department. But it wasn't until the next day that an investigator called Sperl to tell him that his stolen car had been involved in a horrific crash. Five children died when that stolen Neon collided with a truck during a pursuit by Dinuba police.

"The only way they matched it up was the license plate on the road or whatever," said Sperl.

Three teens inside the Neon also died on scene, including two friends from Dinuba. A father himself, Sperl says he's not upset about what was stolen. He's more shaken by the lives that can't be replaced.

Sperl said, "A car can be replaced and all that kind of stuff, but once I found out the whole kids thing, you know them being ejected from the truck, them dying, I was pretty pissed off about it."

Reporter asked, "Do you blame these car jackers?

Sperl replied, "Yeah, of course."

Sperl has been in touch with investigators. He still had six-thousand dollars left to pay off the Neon, and is now looking for a lawyer to help him sort out the insurance claim.