Peninsula community tragically loses two alumni in car accident

The Peninsula family mourns the loss of two alumni, class of 2015 Hachim Awad and class of 2014 Ali Diba Nourollahi. The two lost their lives in a car crash in Huntington Beach at 1:45 a.m. on March 4. Locals close to the scene took immediate action and removed Awad and Nourollahi from the vehicle. They then attempted to revive Awad and Nourollahi by performing CPR, but unfortunately the two had passed by the time authorities arrived at the scene. Before authorities had cleared out, a small memorial had already been built by the scene of the crash. Hachim Awad’s body is being sent to Lebanon, where a majority of his family resides; Ali Nourollahi’s body is being sent to Iran, where he was born. Anne- Marie Voegtlin taught both Awad and Nourollahi while they were at Peninsula. Awad was a student in Voegtlin’s summer school English 1 class, and later Nourollahi was a student in Voegtlin’s ELD 3 class during his senior year.

“If there was fun to be had, Hachim would make sure he was having fun and the people around him were having fun,” Voegtlin said. “[Ali] was always looking out for [his little brother]. He would ask me how he was doing and if he was keeping his grades up.”

Grief counselors were provided to students the Monday after the crash. Principal Mitzi Cress stated that many graduated students had returned to Peninsula to speak with their past counselors after hearing about the car crash.

“I think this experience was a reminder that even students who graduate still look at Peninsula High as home; they look at this as a safe haven,” Cress said. “I do think that shows that this [school] really is a family.”

Peninsula alumnus and friend of the victims Chris Costantini began a GoFundMe called the “Ali Diba&Hachim
Awad Memorial Fund” to support both of the victims’ families through this difficult time, emotionally and financially. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of Awad and Nourallahi and we wish them the best moving forward.