Posted on March 23, 2015 in Car Accidents

Distracted driving impacts the risk of auto accidents regardless of the age of the driver, but a study has indicated that teenage drivers may be dismissing the risks associated with multitasking while driving. Though the study suggested that teenagers recognize that texting and driving or driving while under the influence of alcohol could cause an accident, many did not observe the same potential for danger in other behaviors.

According to one report, any behavior that causes a driver to look away from the road could be considered a form of distracted driving, including talking on a cellphone, eating, changing radio stations or actively using a GPS system. The findings of the research stated that 27 percent of the adolescents admitted to changing clothes while driving. Some claimed to have applied make-up or tended to a homework assignment. A lack of available resources for educating youths on what constitutes distracted driving could be one of the contributing factors to this trend.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 16, 2015 in Car Accidents

A head-on collision on Highway 1 near Lompoc left one man dead and another seriously hurt on March 10. The crash happened at approximately 6:30 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Authorities said a man driving to work in a Toyota Tacoma drifted over the double-yellow line and collided head-on with a Chevrolet Silverado just south of Jalama Road. The Toyota driver, a 32-year-old man from Lynwood, died at the scene. The Chevrolet driver, a 33-year-old man from Lompoc, was trapped in his vehicle following the accident. A representative of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department reported on Twitter that it took 30 minutes to free him. He was transported to Cottage Hospital with major injuries.

CHP closed the southbound lanes of Highway 1 near Jalama Road for several hours as they investigated the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

Head-on collisions such as this one can cause severe injuries that require weeks or months of expensive medical treatment. Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and back injuries, could even leave a victim with a permanent disability. However, an attorney can help a victim recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the crash. Through an examination of accident reports and witness testimony, a lawyer may be able to prove the at-fault driver is legally responsible for a victim's injuries. If the claim is successful, damages could include the costs of medical care and treatment as well as compensation for lost income.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 12, 2015 in Car Accidents

The California Highway Patrol and Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office were on the scene of a deadly accident that occurred in the community of Aptos at about 8 p.m. on March 1. Alcohol bottles were found at the scene of the crash, and DUI is a possible factor in a fatal head-on collision in which the 22-year-old driver of a Mercedes was killed. There were seven people in the vehicle designed to seat five, and none of the occupants were wearing a seat belt according to authorities. A 19-year-old woman and 18-year-old man riding in the front seat along with a 16-year-old girl riding in the back seat were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened when the westbound driver of the Mercedes was allegedly driving recklessly on Freedom Boulevard. He suddenly crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a Ford F-150 pickup driven by a 56-year-old man. According to a spokesperson for the CHP, the driver suffered severe injuries and remained hospitalized at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center the following day. There were no passengers in the pickup truck.

Continue Reading ››

 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.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 03, 2015 in Car Accidents

Individuals who have been involved in a car accident are obligated to stop and call the proper authorities. If anyone involved in the accident has been injured, someone must make an effort to provide reasonable assistance. This may include calling 911, taking that person to the hospital or rendering first aid. To ensure that safety of those involved in the accident and other motorists, it may be worthwhile to place warning cones or flares at the scene.

Although state law says that those involved should render aid to injured car accident victims, they should only do so under certain circumstances. For example, it may only be safe to pull someone from a car before it becomes engulfed in flames. However, if the car is already on fire, it may be more prudent to simply call 911 and wait for help. Outside help may consist of first responders or it may involve other passing motorists.

Regardless of whether there are injuries in the accident, it may be required that each driver exchange his or her information. Each driver should be able to see the other driver's registration and driver's license. It may be prudent to take down that information as well as the name, age and address of passengers in each car as well as any witnesses to the crash.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 25, 2015 in Car Accidents

A multiple-vehicle collision that killed a woman started with a mattress that had fallen on the 55 Freeway in Santa Ana. According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident happened on Feb. 13 just before 12:00 a.m. in the northbound lanes.

A 53-year-old Costa Mesa woman was reportedly driving her 1982 Toyota Celica in the fast lane of the roadway when she struck the mattress. The force of the collision sent her car into the center divider. Following that initial collision, her vehicle landed sideways on the freeway. She was then struck by a 19-year-old Irvine man who was driving a van.

The second collision sent the Celica spinning across the lanes of traffic and into the path of an oncoming 1999 Toyota sedan, which subsequently struck the Celica from behind. The vehicle then reportedly spun around and came to a stop facing the wrong way, when it was hit by a 1995 Honda head on. The woman was pronounced dead at the accident scene. The 19-year-old was arrested after he reportedly drove his van approximately 500 feet north and then ran away on foot. Police took him into custody for suspicions of drunk driving. In addition to the woman who was killed, two others were injured and required transport to Western Medical Center for treatment. The accident resulted in the closure of the northbound lanes for multiple hours while police conducted their investigation and cleanup.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 23, 2015 in Car Accidents

A Feb. 17 accident left one dead and one seriously injured in Chollas View. The 2 a.m. incident occurred as a 32-year-old man lost control after he attempted to travel from I-805 onto Route 94. The dark Nissan truck flipped after slamming into the guardrail on the outer edge of the ramp.

After the truck overturned, a Toyota Matrix driven by a 37-year-old individual collided with it. This individual reportedly experienced major injuries as a result of the collision. The truck's driver, meanwhile, expired at the scene of the serious car accident. Authorities indicate that there is no suspicion of drugs or alcohol causing this car wreck. The accident resulted in a shutdown of the on-ramp for several hours.

Authorities typically conduct an investigation after a major accident to identify potential causes. In some cases, impaired driving or excessive speed can contribute to a crash. In other cases, exhaustion or health problems may contribute to a driver's error or inability to maneuver safely. It is even possible that an obstacle in a road or a manufacturer's defect in a vehicle can have deadly results as an accident occurs.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 19, 2015 in Car Accidents

The woman driver of a blue Honda SUV who died in an accident with a pickup truck on Feb. 6 was not immediately identified at the time of the accident. The California Highway Patrol reported that the fatal crash took place on Highway 101 near Gilroy.

It was south of Masten Avenue where a white pickup truck left the road and went on to the shoulder. The driver swerved in an attempt to get back on the road and T-boned a Honda SUV in the left lane. Both vehicles flipped over and finally stopped on the center highway divider, according to the CHP report.

Although the woman died, the driver of the truck survived. He went to an area hospital for the treatment of minor injuries. He did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but the CHP continues to look into the cause of the accident.

Rollover crashes are often associated with highway speeds and driver errors. In a fatal crash, the victim's family may be confronted by unexpected costs, like medical bills and funeral expenses. If a family's breadwinner dies, then lost income becomes an immediate issue as well.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 12, 2015 in Car Accidents

A fiery crash in Fremont resulted after a 22-year-old woman drove north on Interstate Highway 880 in the southbound lanes. The California Highway Patrol received a report of the driver going the wrong way shortly before the call about an accident came in.

The woman's 1999 Volvo hit a Chevrolet Silverado truck on the interstate near Thornton Avenue. Her car was burning when authorities arrived on scene. The acting deputy chief for the Fremont Fire Department reported that firefighters were unable to rescue the woman who was trapped in her vehicle. She later died. The accident report stated that she was from Santa Clara, but her identity was withheld so her family could be notified.

Rescue workers did manage to remove the three passengers of the pickup truck that was also threatened by the burning car. The passengers had major injuries. The CHP continues to investigate the accident. Where or how the woman entered the highway on the wrong side has not yet been determined. Investigators have not eliminated the possibility of drugs or alcohol contributing to the driving error.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 10, 2015 in Car Accidents

Drivers on the California roads are taking risks if they drive with worn tires. However, statistics indicate that many vehicles on the road are driving with at least one dangerously worn tire in use.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report that indicates that one in 10 cars has a tire that is completely bald. That means that the tire tread has worn away so much that the surface is essentially flat. This seriously impairs the driver's ability to handle the vehicle, especially on wet or icy surfaces.

American tire tread is most often measured in 1/32nd inch increments. A new tire will most often have grooves inscribed in the surface of the tire to the depth of 10/32nds of an inch, and they will be considered worn by the time the tread reaches only 2/32nds. At this point the grooves in the tire will no longer be able to properly serve their purpose of increasing the tire's grip in wet conditions, and the car will become more likely to hydroplane or otherwise go out of control. This condition is estimated by the NHTSA to affect as many as half of all the cars on the road. This means that driving in rainy or snowy conditions is more hazardous than it might otherwise be. Even if many people properly maintain their vehicle, the chances are good that they will encounter another one that was not as prepared.

Continue Reading ››