Driver Was Critically Injured on I-5 : Mental Help Ordered for Rock Tosser

A 16-year-old boy who dropped a chunk of concrete off a freeway overpass, critically injuring a motorist, was committed to a psychiatric hospital Wednesday.

Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Kapiloff first sentenced the boy to the California Youth Authority but stayed that sentence and placed him at Southwood Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center. The youth’s progress will be reviewed Nov. 17, and, if he has not improved, the judge may transfer him to the CYA.

Guilty on 3 Charges

The boy was convicted April 29 of three counts of assault with a deadly weapon for dropping a 6-pound chunk of concrete from an Interstate 5 overpass near Balboa Park. Kurt Meyering, a 24-year-old aspiring actor, was struck in the head by the block when it smashed through the windshield of his girlfriend’s Corvette.

Meyering, who was in a coma for several months, has shown remarkable progress but has the mental capacity of a 7- or 8-year-old. Two weeks ago, he moved back to his hometown of Wenatchee, Wash., to live with his family. A claim that Meyering’s relatives filed seeking $10 million in damages is pending against San Diego.

Kapiloff’s decision was based on an hour of testimony from a court-appointed psychiatrist who examined the boy and on lengthy psychological evaluations.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert O. Amador, who prosecuted the case, said that, although the boy’s crime “cries out for punishment,” the major consideration for Kapiloff was “what will lead to rehabilitation.

“The juvenile system is different from the adult court system, so, while you want to protect society from this boy, you also may only punish if it will rehabilitate,” Amador said. “It’s a difficult decision.”

Amador said the youth has a record that “indicates not a criminal orientation but a mental-illness problem.”

Under terms of Kapiloff’s order, the boy’s mother also must undergo a psychological examination and attend counseling with her son. If she refuses, she will not be allowed to see him, Amador said.

The youth’s attorney, Jerry Leahy, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Another boy, 14 years old, was also convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in the case. He was sentenced in June to spend a year in the VisionQuest wilderness program. After that, the boy will return to court, and a judge may send him to his parents’ home, find a foster home for him or place him in a 24-hour school for juvenile offenders.

Efforts to reach members of the Meyering family were unsuccessful.