UPLAND >> On what would have been Courtney Ferranto’s 23rd birthday, her parents, family and friends gathered Friday afternoon and released dozens of balloons in her memory.

Ferranto was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a drunken driver on Aug. 9 in Corona and was taken off life support this week.

The family agreed to donate Ferranto’s organs, releasing the balloons at 3 p.m., which was when the surgery occurred.

The group shouted, “we love you Courtney,” as the colorful balloons faded into the afternoon blue sky. The group then broke into a solemn rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

“Courtney will always be in our hearts and the gift of life she is giving will be such a blessing,” said her father, Santo Ferranto.

Many in the crowd wore Courtney Ferranto’s favorite color, teal, as well as released 23 balloons in the same color. The rest of the balloons were purple, her other favorite color.

The family has said it will establish in her honor “Courtney’s Gift,” a foundation meant to prevent drunken driving.

The balloon release was held outside her father’s home in Upland.

“Courtney was a tremendous gift to all her family and friends. Such a life, such a powerful joy, cannot be bound or restrained, even by this terrible loss,” said Councilwoman Debbie Stone, reading a statement from the family.

Santo Ferranto and his wife, Dori, along with Courtney’s mother Belinda Gibson and her husband, Larry Gibson, thanked those in attendance for their “overwhelming love and support” since Sunday’s accident.

Santo and Dori Ferranto are members of the Upland Chamber of Commerce, which organized the gathering.

Inside the Ferranto’s Upland home, the family room floor was lined with flower bouquets, each containing handwritten condolences.

“She was quiet in nature but she was big in life,’ her father said. “She just attracted people in by who she was.”

Santo Ferranto was poised as he remembered his daughter but there were subtle hints he was still coming to terms with the loss of his daughter.

“She was – she is a beautiful girl,” he said.

At least twice he urged that people not drink and drive.

“I hate to see other families going through what we’re going through,” he said.

Corona Police Department said the accident occurred Aug. 9 shortly after 9:20 p.m. in the intersection of Promenade Avenue and Sixth Street. The driver of a Nissan Maxima broadsided the front passenger side door of the grey Mazada 3 driven by Courtney Ferranto’s boyfriend, Jacob George. Courtney Ferranto was the passenger and sustained serious injuries. She was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, according to Corona Police.

Eduardo Alvarez, 25, of Corona was arrested at the scene for suspicion of driving under the influence, police said. According to Santo Ferranto, his daughter had just gotten home from the beauty store Sephora in Victoria Gardens where she was a makeup artist.

“She just loved doing it, she loved her job,” he said, adding that his daughter had aspirations to work as a makeup artist in the entertainment industry.

His daughter convinced her boyfriend to grab some ice cream and the couple were on their way to Sonics when the collision occurred, Santo Ferranto said.

“Once we knew she wasn’t coming back we wanted to make sure other families would be able to celebrate,” he said about the organ donation.

Funeral services are pending.

An Uber driver robbed at gunpoint in Hermosa Beach followed the gunman’s getaway car and pointed it out to a sheriff’s deputy, who arrested three suspects, police said Friday.

The crime occurred about 1:20 a.m. Thursday as the Uber driver stood next to his car talking on his smartphone in the Vons parking lot at 710 Pier Ave., police said.

A man approached him, pointed a gun at him and demanded the phone. The driver complied, and watched the man get into a car occupied by two other people.

The victim followed the car into Lawndale and flagged down a sheriff’s deputy, who pulled the car over and arrested two men and a woman. A fake handgun and the victim’s cellphone were recovered.

Arrested on suspicion of robbery were Anthony Mateo, 19, of Los Angeles; Alexis Stewart, 19, of Los Angeles; and Dwaun Jennings, 18, of Pomona.

Each was held on $100,000 bail.

— Larry Altman

RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> A man pleaded not guilty to murder charges after investigators determined he was allegedly drunk when he crashed his motorcycle, killing his friend.

Brian Salsbury, 25, of Murrieta, was in West Valley Superior Court, in Rancho Cucamonga, Wednesday to face charges of murder, driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter stemming from May’s fatal crash that killed William Arko, 35, of Colton.

The crash was reported around 3:25 p.m. May 23 in the 7800 block of Elm Avenue, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials at the Rancho Cucamonga station.

According to investigators, the men were both riding a motorcycle south on Elm Avenue, near De Anza, when they ran into a parked car. Both men were tossed off the motorcycle. Arko was killed, and Salsbury was injured.

A criminal complaint identified Salsbury as the driver of the motorcycle that afternoon.

Court documents show the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Salsbury on July 22. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 24.

Salsbury is being held on $1 million bail at West Valley Detention Center, in Rancho Cucamonga.

A multi-vehicle crash in the Cajon Pass snarled traffic for Monday morning commuters.

Just before 5 a.m., the California Highway Patrol received several calls of a crash involving up to five vehicles on the southbound 15 Freeway north of Kenwood Avenue which blocked several lanes of the roadway, according to the CHP incident log.

There were several other smaller crashes reported after the first and caused a back-up for several miles nearly to Highway 138, according to reports. No serious injuries were reported.

Although most of the lanes of traffic were cleared by 6 a.m., heavy slowing on the southbound lanes continued for some time.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Aldon Smith released by San Francisco 49ers after latest arrest.

ONTARIO >> A motorcyclist was injured in a Friday morning crash near Inland Center Drive and Archibald Avenue, Ontario police said.

The crash was first reported just after 7 a.m. and involved a motorcycle and car, said Sgt. Jeff Higbee, spokesman for the police department.

The rider had obvious injuries, but they did not appear to be life-threatening, he said.

The inujred rider was taken to a hospital.

Details into what caused the crash were not immediately released.

GLENDORA >> Authorities said a man walking on the 57 Freeway was hit by two big rigs in two separate incidents on Thursday, killing him and closing a portion of the freeway for several hours.

Officials shut down the northbound 57 Freeway transition road to the westbound 210 Freeway at 1:06 p.m. until about 3:45 p.m. Thursday, California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said.

Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner officials did not have an identity for the man, however, CHP officials identified him as Jesus Quezada Duran Jr., 53, of Covina,

Duran parked his 1950 Chevrolet sedan on the right shoulder and was seen walking on the northbound lanes of the 57 Freeway south of Covina Boulevard around 12:30 p.m., Jimenez said.

Duran stepped in front of a big rig and the driver swerved left to avoid hitting him, but Duran was struck and sustained unknown injuries, Jimenez said.

Witnesses said Duran re-entered his vehicle and drove away from the scene, continuing north on the 57 Freeway. Halfway across the transition road, Duran parked his vehicle on the right shoulder and stepped into the path of a second big rig. Jimenez said.

Witnesses are asked to contact the CHP Baldwin Park Station at 626-338-1164.

CORONA — At least 10 vehicles were involved in a series of collisions on the Riverside (91) Freeway early today.

• TRENDING: Motorists stopped on 91 Freeway take to Twitter, Instagram

The collisions occurred in the westbound lanes just west of Green River Road around 4:40 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Between 10 and 12 vehicles were involved in the collisions, according to the CHP.

One minor injury was reported, a Corona Fire Department battalion chief said.

A SigAlert of unknown duration was declared for the HOV and No. 1 lanes of the westbound freeway.

LOS ANGELES >> The trial for a Fontana woman accused of causing a wrong way crash on the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar the left six dead last year is expected to begin next year, defense attorneys said Wednesday.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys as well as Olivia Carolee Culbreath, 22, were in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday.

Some discovery issues still needed to be worked out, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Padilla told Judge Dennis Landin.

The lawyers will return to court Oct. 7 and trial will begin within 90 days.

Outside the courtroom defense attorney Kelly Sheahen Gerner said the trial could begin in late January or early February.

Culbreath is accused of driving a Chevrolet Camaro east on the westbound 60 Freeway at speeds near 100 mph on Feb. 9, 2014. She allegedly was involved in a wrong way crash at about 4:45 a.m. in Diamond Bar, the California Highway Patrol said.

The car crashed head-on into a sport utility vehicle. Another vehicle subsequently crashed into the SUV, the CHP said.

Six people died, among them two women, who were in Culbreath’s car. One of the women was Culbreath’s sister, Maya, 24, of Rialto, and the other was Kristin Melissa Young, 21, of Chino.

• Photos: 6 killed in wrong-way crash on 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar

Four Huntington Park residents Gregorio Mejia-Martinez, 47; Leticia Ibarra, 42; Jessica Jasmine Mejia, 20; and Ester Delgado, 80, in the SUV were thrown from the vehicle and died.

CHP investigators said during a pre-trial hearing that witnesses saw Culbreath drinking at a Fullerton bar hours before the crash.

Judge Sam Ohta, who has been handling the case since it was moved from Pomona to Los Angeles, was not in court Wednesday. He is on a temporary appellate court assignment, defense attorney Robert Sheahen said.

Once the judge returns the final details related to setting a trial date will be worked out, the lawyers said.

Culbreath appeared in court Wednesday in a wheel chair and wearing brown jail clothing. In most of her past appearances she was wearing a hospital gown.

Sheahen Gerner said she recently visited her client at the jail ward of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Culbreath has had five to six surgeries to repair damage to her digestive system, Sheahen Gerner said.

“Slowly but surely she is improving,” Sheahen Gerner said. “It’s been a very physically and traumatic experience for her.”