Three weeks ago on Feb. 1, senior Joshua Chua was riding his X-Treme Brand moped when he crashed into the utility trailer of a semi truck, trapping himself under the vehicle. Chua, who was airlifted to the USC Medical Center, suffered from severe head injuries and passed away before he reached the hospital.
Although this tragic incident was sudden, fellow friends and classmates of Chua placed various flowers, posters, and candles — in blue, Chua’s favorite color — at the school flagpole. Several students also wore blue to school on Feb. 6 to commemorate his passing.
As a student at Diamond Bar High School, Chua was actively involved in several extracurricular activities including Architecture, of which he was a student for two years. “On average, he would stay during brunch two days a week, and would always work extra when he could. He was motivated to do better in class and always tried to see what his mistakes were and how improve them. I was very shocked that this happened. It is very sad to see someone with great potential gone like that,” the Advanced Architecture instructor John Jones shared.
Not only did he participate in Architecture, but Chua also was greatly involved in music and drama. As a member of the Musical Theater class and a former member of drama class, Chua was a part of several school productions, including the 2011 spring production “Fiddler on the Roof.”
“I had the opportunity to work with Joshua Chua in the previous years through his involvement in the school musical and drama department. [He] was a good student with a good-natured heart. He had a quiet disposition, [but] was a great team player for the productions he was a part of,” Janna Lindenberg, one of the teachers for Musical Theater, stated.
Furthermore, Chua was very passionate about music and loved to sing. Last year, he participated in the Battle of the Bands competition with a band called Adolescent Noise. He sang “Hey There Deliliah” by the Plain White T’s.
“All these things he did were [activities] that most kids in this school wouldn’t do, and that’s what made him a unique and special friend at this school,” Chua’s friend Isaac Cortez said.
The funeral service for Chua was held on Feb. 13 at the Church of our Heritage in Forest Lawn, and visitations were allowed the day before. Several members of the DBHS’ symphony orchestra also attended and performed at the service.
“[Joshua was] a really caring, simple, and truthful guy. [He] was very kind when it came to meeting someone new; he was always there for you when you need him. He would [also] always check up on you to see if you were okay. [He is] still my great friend and always will be,” Gregory Ramirez, Chua’s best friend, commented.
