Posted on January 19,2015 in Car Accidents

A vehicle drove into a Macy's department store in Newark on Jan. 14, and four people were injured in the accident. The store was evacuated after the crash occurred. At the time of the report, authorities were still investigating the incident.

A representative of the Alameda County Fire Department reported that the accident took place around 4:50 p.m. at the NewPark Mall. A vehicle being driven by a 63-year-old woman allegedly waited outside of the store while a 12-year-old boy exited the vehicle to use a mall restroom. While the reason for the accident was unknown at the time of the report, the vehicle then jolted forward and went about 50 feet inside the Macy's.

The driver and two men shopping inside the store all suffered injuries, though the extent of their injuries was unknown, and a man who was in front of the store on a sidewalk went to a hospital with critical injuries. Another woman and a 10-year-old girl were passengers in the vehicle, but they were unharmed in the collision. At least two witnesses reported panic attacks after the crash.

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 Posted on January 15,2015 in Motorcycle Accidents

California residents may be interested in an emerging technology that one day might prevent accidents involving motorcycles. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication system is being tested now on some automobiles, but the time may come when it could be used to prevent motorcycle accidents.

The U.S. Department of Transportation began a pilot test of the communications technology with 3,000 Michigan vehicles in August 2012. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is now doing paperwork to extend this technology to sport utility vehicles, cars and pickups. This technology allows a vehicle's on-board sensors to communicate with other vehicles equipped with the same technology. Information the two vehicles share can include speed of the vehicles and distance between them, and whether one car is about to change lanes or make a left turn. Drivers are then alerted and can take action to avoid an accident.

One of the major causes of motorcycle accidents is motorists not seeing motorcycles until it is too late to avoid an accident. If the new technology can be applied to motorcycles, experts say it could dramatically reduce the number of motorcycle accidents, especially those involving left turns at intersections, multi-vehicle crashes and rear-end collisions. The sensors could warn inattentive drivers that a motorcycle is nearby.

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 Posted on January 13,2015 in Car Accidents

Car accidents often result in serious injuries that can bring lasting pain, complications and even death to California residents. Understanding the major types of car accident injuries and how to prevent them can be one way to help ensure that an accident results in as little harm as possible.

Brain, head, neck and spine injuries are common in car accidents, and they are also the most problematic. Severe whiplash can result in injuries to the neck, spine, inner ears and brain that can have serious health consequences. Damage to the spine and vertebrae can easily cause pain, permanent paralysis or loss of function. Many such injuries require months or years of treatment before being fully resolved. Traumatic brain injury may result in permanent brain damage and loss of memory or function. Airbags and seat belts are the best tools currently for preventing such injuries. While airbags themselves can cause some injury, the possible injuries are much less severe than those they can help prevent.

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 Posted on January 07,2015 in Car Accidents

In Fair Oaks, a town near Sacramento, California, a 2003 Subaru Outback going north on San Juan Avenue was hit head-on by a 1932 Buick LeSabre going south. The Buick crossed over the centerline and hit the Subaru head on, causing critical injuries. The accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday.

The Buick was engulfed in flames by the time authorities arrived on scene, and three of its occupants had already died. A local resident pulled two other victims out of the Buick but one of them, a woman, died at the scene. The other woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The driver of the Subaru is in serious condition. A CHP spokesman stated that several of the passengers were not wearing seat belts, and the accident is difficult to investigate because things were tossed around inside the vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing and it is suspected that speed may have been a factor. Crash scene investigators will need to determine if road conditions, driver fatigue or distractions contributed to the accident. It was determined that the driver of the Subaru was not under the influence of alcohol, and a toxicology test will be performed on the other driver to determine if alcohol consumption contributed to the crash.

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 Posted on January 06,2015 in Car Accidents

On Dec. 24, a United States Postal Service truck became involved in an accident on California's popular coastline highway, State Highway 1, according to authorities. Three individuals were hospitalized with injuries after the wreck.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the USPS truck was traveling south on Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay at approximately 11:40 a.m., and that is when, for reasons not immediately ascertained, the postal truck and a northbound Subaru came into contact with each other. The speed and weight of the crash generated enough violence to leave behind wreckage across both directions of the highway and to require the roadway's closure for more than an hour. It was not certain immediately after the accident if either of the two drivers involved might face criminal charges connected with the event.

Authorities reported that USPS truck driver suffered a serious head injury in the wreck. Emergency crews transported the man to Stanford Hospital via helicopter. Two occupants of the Subaru were also airlifted to the Stanford facility. While authorities indicated that the nature of the injuries they both suffered was major, the extent of the two individuals' bodily damage was not immediately reported.

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