Thursday, March 18, 2010

Rollover Crash Kills Wrong-Way Driver

A motorist’s good driving skills can help avoid injuries he may sustain from vehicular accidents, However, his own negligence could also lead him to his fateful demise.

A 25-year-old woman from Newcastle identified as Sandra Hauser was recently killed in a rollover accident shortly after correcting her wrong-way driving east of Highway 193.

Hauser was said to have just made a U-turn after driving her westbound vehicle along the eastbound lanes of interstate 80. She was said to be correctly heading east when she lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road.

Her blue 1990 Acura Integra then hit a rock embankment at around 2:30 am before it rolled over. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities are not yet sure whether Hauser was intoxicated at the time of the accident as she was dangerously going the wrong way shortly before the crash. It is also possible that she may have fallen asleep or was distracted as she corrected her direction before losing control over her vehicle.

Her death is unfortunate but her mistakes should be a lesson to other motorists so that fatalities in these accidents can be lessened.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

2 Men and a 3-Year-old Girl Dies in Riverside Fatal Head-on Collision

Three people, including a 3-year-old girl, died in a fatal car accident in Riverside the other night.

According to CHP, 30-year-old Donald Graves of Hemet was driving a Chevy Malibu on the eastbound lane of Florida Avenue just ahead of Highway 74 with his 3-year-old daughter Dakota when the car drifted into the westbound lane and collided with a Honda Accord.

Graves and the Accord driver, Andrew Huizar, 20, of Apple Valley died at the scene while Dakota was pronounced dead in Hemet Valley Medical Center after sustaining major injuries.

The California Highway Patrol is still unsure of what caused the head-on collision but is looking into a possible dangerous turning maneuver by Graves.

Since it is still not sure who the liable party in the accident is, the families of both parties can file a wrongful death claim against each other.

California is a comparative negligence state so even if the victim is partially at fault for the accident, they can still collect damages.

However, the amount to be awarded will also be reduced by their level of liability.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Motorcyclist Dies in Crash

Compared to other vehicles, motorcycles are smaller and offer less protection to riders than four-wheeled vehicles. Inexperienced riders often get injured in accidents caused by their lack of protection and stability in motorcycles.

Though this is the case, many still choose motorcycles, rather than cars or automobiles, as their means of transportation because it gives them the power to navigate through traffic as motorcycles occupy lesser space than four-wheeled vehicles.

However, in a recent motorcycle accident, a 66-year-old man from Kingsburg failed to control his vehicle and drift onto the pathway of an oncoming Ford Taurus along Trimmer Springs Road.

James Reese was riding his 2009 Harley-Davidson when the accident happened. Reese was thrown from the motorcycle and died as he was being treated at a hospital.

The 54-year-old driver of the Ford, however, was not injured. Authorities ruled out alcohol as a factor in this accident and so it is likely that Reese really just lost control of his Harley-Davidson.

Motorcycle riders should be aware that each time they ride their bikes, they are at a much higher danger as compared to riding other vehicles and so they ought to be more careful.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Drunken Hit-and-Run Driver Arrested after Fatal Crash

An accident is potentially a hit and run if the driver at-fault flees the accident area, without being recognized or identified by witnesses. A drunk driver who tried to accomplish this fortunately failed when he was arrested by the authorities hours following a deadly crash.

Reports stated that a drunk driver who was identified as Wilder Amaya, 30, from Marina, and his 28-year-old male passenger, from Seaside, were traveling along West Blanco Road in a 2003 Toyota Tacoma when the accident occurred.

Amaya reportedly slid away from the north roadway edge and suddenly hit a power pole. The Tacoma hit a solar-powered speed limit gun, which caused it to stop.

The driver then fled the area, leaving his injured passenger who was announced dead at the accident area.

After six hours, authorities were able to arrest Amaya near the scene of the fatal crash.

He was booked in Monterey County Jail due to the suspicion of felony DUI, felony hit-and-run, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Long Beach Authorities in Search of Fatal Hit-and-Run Driver

Hit and run drivers are increasing in number, leaving mostly the victims and their loved ones unable to acquire the justice they deserve.

Recovering damages in a fatal hit-and-run accident is difficult especially when the unidentified driver refuses to take responsibility for his negligent actions. This problem is now being faced by the loved ones of Samira Chalala, 54, from Cypress.

According to reports, Chalala died when she was hit by a 1998 Nissan Frontier while trying to cross 27th Street along Pasadena Avenue in Long Beach.

There was no designated crosswalk in the accident area, said reports.

The victim was brought to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where she was announced dead due to her injuries.

Hopefully, someone will emerge as a witness and identify the driver so that he will be finally forced to face the outcome of his wrong actions. If ever it was proven that his negligence resulted to the fatal accident, he may face different punishments including license cancellation, jail time, and paying of fines.