Laughing Gas Kills Two in La Jolla
Written by mac meda on September 2, 2009 – 4:21 am -
Laughing Gas Kills Two in La Jolla
In 1969, La Jolla was still a sleepy beach town and pretty much unknown to the country, let alone the world. There was a 5 & 10 store, Safeway market (that everyone worked at), small hardware store, a few shoe stores, and Walker Scotts was the upper end of clothing.
The average home sold for $39,000. There were no MacMansions, but small, almost cottage like homes. Downtown La Jolla did not look like Rodeo Drive, and living on top of the hill was considered country living. La Jolla had its own movie theater with Saturday matinees that cost $1.50.
Everyone knew each other and La Jolla High had about 600 students.
But that all changed on June 3, 1969 when this horrible tragedy put La Jolla on the map. The media jumped on this and just about every paper carried this story for weeks.
The culture change of the hippies, protesters, drugs, Make Love, Not War, shocked La Jolla ‘once was’ quite and secluded town. La Jolla got its fame, but not like they wanted!
The article says it all. One got a bottle of laughing gas and got three more students who also wanted to get a quick high. And at the bottom of Bird Rock Avenue, locked the doors of a sports car, rolled up the windows, and opened the valve.
Instantly two died. Two managed to escape.
The teenagers where found by police who were called when residents heard a loud almost hysterical voices coming from the car. Police when arriving found the body of Clare Herick, 18, and Peter Strata, 17 in the back seat. Both were pronounce dead at the scene.
Nora Ruffcorn, 16 was found in the front seat and taken to the hospital in serious condition. Brad Hunter, 17, was outside the car and leaning against it. He was taken into custody after being treated and released at the local hospital.
Editors Note: Nora is married, has kids and lives up north and doing well. Brad Hunter’s whereabouts is unknown at this writing.
Article from Google Archives.
Tags: mac-tales, Meda People
Posted in Meda People, Meda Rant and Rave | 8 Comments »
By Liz Kuzman on Sep 2, 2009 | Reply
I do remember this one. Happened behind our house in Bird Rock. My dad was an MD and went to see if he could help. No bringing the 2 kids back.
By Garry Bie on Sep 2, 2009 | Reply
Yes, I remember it well. We were good friends of the Ruffcorn kids. I took Nora to her Senior Prom after she had mostly recooperated and graduated from LJHS. I think that one of the most annoying aspect of the sad situation was the story in the La Jolla Light, “Death Get’s the Last Laugh”. The clever headline didn’t get a very good reception from local family and friends. One of my favorite t-shirts is the Mac Meda starring Albert on the back, which I inherited from my best old lost friend Ralph Perry. Sometimes I wear it when I’m shopping for my mother in La Jolla. They priced me out of that neighborhood a long time ago.
By Ruffcorn on Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
As a footnote. Nora has one adult child and lives in Nevada with her husband. Her health has suffered drastically over the years, most likely due to the long lasting effects of the laughing gas.
By Dennis Downie on Oct 14, 2009 | Reply
Clare Herick was in my algerbra class at LJ Hi school. She was one of the most beautiful girls in school. Everyone, tell your kids and/or
grand kids not to mess with laughing gas
By Jane Tillotson on Jun 20, 2010 | Reply
Cannot believe it has been more than forty years since this tragedy. I was a very good friend of Clare’s when I lived in laJolla 1964-1966. We spent most weekends down at the Shores. I returned for a few weeks in August ‘68 just before starting senior year in McLean Va. We wrote back and forth all year. I received her final letter in late May. I heard about her tragic death upon returning home the evening of June 3rd. Personnally, it has haunted me all these years. She was beautiful and also a very talented artist who might have gone far in life. I graduated from high school the following weekend, worked that summer and went on to attend college in Santa Barbara, Ca. Clare is buried in Carmel Valley next to her mother who died in March 2007. You are not forgotten, dear Clare.
By Dan Talboy on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
What a waste of a great young beautiful girl, Claire Herrick, I went with her for awhile, till her mom said I was a bad influence on her, yet did she know the worst influences in her life were yet to come, after we split up.
By Bill Ainsworth on Apr 18, 2011 | Reply
Clare Herrick and Jane Tillotson were the first two girls that I met after I arrived in La Jolla in 1965. We would meet before Lorna Shades Latin class at Muirlands junior high. I had joined the USAF in May before Clair died. What a shock that was. Hi Jane!
By Jane on May 28, 2011 | Reply
Hi Bill!
Hope life has been kind to you all these years.
You can email me at: janehtillotson@hotmail.com