Alcohol-fueled crash results in 4 deaths

 Posted on March 09, 2015 in Car Accidents

California Highway Patrol confirmed that four people were killed in a head-on collision on March 1. The fatal motor vehicle accident took place on a rural road in Santa Cruz County at about 8 p.m. According to CHP reports, the driver of a black Mercedes sedan entered the path of oncoming traffic and struck a gray Ford F-150 head on.

Following the crash, firefighters had to tear the Mercedes apart in order to free some of the injured victims. The 22-year-old driver of the Mercedes and two of his teenage passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. Another teenage passenger in the Mercedes was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. Three other Mercedes passengers and the 56-year-old driver of the Ford were treated at the hospital for injuries.

Although the investigation is ongoing, an officer with CHP said that alcohol and drugs were likely factors in the crash. Some evidence of alcohol consumption was found at the scene of the accident. There were also witnesses who said that they had seen the Mercedes speeding and driving erratically prior to the crash. None of the deceased victims had been wearing seat belts.

A person injured in this kind of motor vehicle accident might be forced to incur large medical and rehabilitation expenses and experience a significant loss of income due to an inability to return to work. The victim might be able to place the burden of these financial damages on the person who caused the accident by filing a personal injury claim. If the driver at fault was killed in the wreck, a claim may be filed against the deceased driver's estate.

Source: ABC News, "4 People Killed, 4 Others Injured in California Car Crash," March 2, 2015