Thousand Oaks, CA. –Police are still trying to determine what caused a 17-year-old driver to crash into a telephone pole in Thousand Oaks last week, killing the student-athlete and injuring his passenger. Austin Evans, who would have been a senior at Thousand Oaks High School this year, was driving north on S. Westlake Boulevard around 4:20 p.m. Aug. 20 when his car veered off the road and ran into a pole north of Carlisle Canyon, according to the Thousand Oaks Police Department. Both Austin and his 17-year-old male passenger, who were wearing seat belts, were treated for their injuries at Los Robles Hospital. Austin died at 12:30 p.m. the next day, Aug. 21, from complications of blunt force injury to the head, said Craig Stevens, senior deputy medical examiner. Austin learned to pole vault his freshman year at Thousand Oaks High and quickly showed his athletic talent, said TOHS coach Kevin Burnett. “He had never pole vaulted before, as most freshmen haven’t,” Burnett said. “He said he wanted to try. I proceeded to take him through the beginning drills. I could tell within the first 20 minutes that he was going to be somebody really good. He had strength, flexibility and coordination.” more
