Darrell Solorio, the lone teen-age survivor of a fatal single-car Halloween night accident that took the lives of two of his friends, was transferred to UCLA medical center Friday for specialists to look at his left ear and left eye, said his uncle, Dan Raybuck.

The UCLA medical specialists will check Solorio's wounds to see if surgery is necessary. Solorio, who suffered head injuries and has had surgery at least twice, has been at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital since the accident.

“He's doing better, but it's going to be a long road ahead and there is going to still be a lot involved in his recovery," Raybuck said. “There's going to be a lot of physical therapy involved."

Solorio has been told he was involved in a car accident but has not been informed that his friends, Mikey Terrones and Brice Fabing, have died. Terrones, 16, was buried Monday; Fabing, 17, was buried Friday, both at Lompoc Cemetery.

“The first time my wife and I saw Darrell in the hospital, it broke our hearts," Raybuck said. “We just came back to town yesterday and he looks a whole lot better. He had a lot of swelling in the back part of his head and a lot of the swelling has gone down now. Before, he couldn't open his eyes and look at you and right now when, we came back, he responds to questions."

Raybuck said the family is expecting a “full recovery" but cautioned, “We won't know yet now, because it's too early to determine the extent of brain damage."

Solorio's parents, Rosendo and Nancy, have spent every night by their son's side and have accompanied him to Los Angeles for further treatment.

“They're doing OK," Raybuck said. “They haven't left his side since (Halloween) night. They've been with him day and night and we finally got his mom and dad to let my wife and myself watch over him."

“We've got to wait until the specialists in Los Angeles determine his time in treatment," he said. “I just hope and pray Darrell will be cooking my Thanksgiving turkey for me."

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