VW Memorial Ride for Man Killed by Suspected Drunk Driver

A deadly crash was memorialized by a procession of VW Club members in honor of 25-year-old Jayme Midlam who was killed after April Thompson, 23, crashed her Chevy 2500 pickup truck into Midlam’s 1972 Volkswagen Beetle.

Thompson plead not guilty to her charges and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 14. California Highway Patrol officials suspected that April Thompson was under the influence of alcohol, and prosecutors said in court that Thompson had a blood alcohol level double the legal limit. She drove the wrong way on State Route 52 over New Year holiday weekend. She faces up to 10 years in prison if she is convicted on DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter charges.

On Saturday Jan. 5, VW Club members participated in a memorial ride to the 3400 block of Clarement to pay tribute to Midlam. Many of the VW drivers did not personally know Midlam but nevertheless wanted to honor Midlam and show support to his family. The VW’s posted signs in their windows that said, “RIP VW Brother”, evoking an unspoken sense of VW Bug owner camaraderie. Dori McLauren participated in the memorial and said she wanted to show love for the fellow “VW Brother.”

“We’re here to support him and his family. What happened was extremely tragic and unnecessary and we’re here to show our love for him,” said McLauren. “It doesn’t matter whether you know him or not.”

If you have been arrested for driving drunk, contact a California DUI attorney for legal assistance.

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