Orange County Girl Dies in DUI Crash When Ford Explorer Rolls Over
Natasha Dannov, by all accounts a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky teenager from Fountain Valley, died early Sunday morning in an auto accident on the Interstate 5 when the 2000 Ford Explorer she was a passenger in, rolled over near Oceanside.
According to an article in The Orange County Register, Dannov’s best friend of 10 years, Marian Teri Kahale, also 18, who was driving the Explorer at the time, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and vehicular manslaughter.
The girls had reportedly gone to a party Saturday night at Mission Viejo where they had been drinking, according to Dannov’s mother, Isabelle, who was quoted in the Register article. Around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, the teens were on their way home when Kahale realized she was heading south near Oceanside on the I-5 instead of north. It was around that time that Kahale reportedly lost control of the sport utility vehicle.
The Explorer careened off the freeway, overturned and struck a guardrail ejecting Dannov, who was sleeping in the car without wearing her seatbelt. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Camp Pendleton fire officials, the newspaper reported. Kahale survived with moderate injuries, but was arrested and detained with bail set at $250,000. The state Alcohol Beverages Control Board and the CHP are also reportedly looking into who provided alcohol to the teens over a 24-hour period before the crash. Both were obviously underage.
This is yet another tragic incident that is heartbreaking not only for the Dannov family, but also the Kahale family given how close the two girls were. It seems as if a lot of young people think they are invincible when it comes to drunk driving. There is the general feeling and attitude of: “It won’t happen to me” or “I can handle it.” These are but illusions. An impaired driver is just that – someone who will not be able to handle the vehicle and puts not only his or her life in jeopardy, but also the passengers riding with them as well as other drivers on the road.
In this case, it is reported that both girls were intoxicated and not wearing their seatbelts. But the Dannov family would be well-advised to hire a reputed personal injury firm to conduct an independent investigation of the accident, especially because it was another Ford Explorer rollover fatality accident.
The police investigation may eventually tell us why this particular accident happened and what the cause was, but as personal injury attorneys, we see way too many Ford Explorer rollover catastrophic injury cases. It has been proven time and time again by crash experts that the vehicle itself is unstable.
The structure of the vehicle and its restraint systems do not adequately protect the front seat occupants from the roof crushing in on them. Ford maintains that their vehicles’ roofs are not weak. Our California firm has been involved in over a dozen product liability lawsuits against Ford for Explorer rollover catastrophic injuries. We have investigated about three times as many.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of an automobile defect that has caused injury needs to protect their best evidence of the suspected defect, the automobile itself. It must be kept unaltered and protected from the elements until your attorneys have it inspected by experts. Photographing is not nearly enough.
It’s our belief that in most of these accidents – whatever the cause may have been – the Ford Explorer is an unsafe vehicle. A better built and designed vehicle most likely would have had a much better outcome. We’ve even seen instances of the seatbelt system in the Explorer failing because of a faulty seat belt buckle design. The vehicle is just too big and too unstable, especially for young, inexperienced drivers.
Comments
Regarding the posting about Natasha Danov.
This make me sick!!
This is a drunk driver caused fatality.
My kids went to school with Marian and she was well known for her partying.
Posted by: JJ | November 26, 2007 4:55 PM
this makes you sick?
what should sit in the pit of your empty soul and rot is the fact that your kids have nothing better to do that talk about marian and what she was known for.
did you know sir, that adolescents talk frequently about what their desires are.
maybe you should look into your own miserable childrens lives and investigate them, instead of hers.
i have known marian since the 5th grade, and mind you- your ridiculously pittiful children, obviously did not.
she was not known for her partying- she was known for her free spirit, which some cowards are too afriad to embrace.
both were intoxicated.
and both made bad decisions,
only marians ended in the death of tasha.
this tradgedy has struck the hearts of half of fountain valley.
natasha felicite dannov was also close to my heart, so plesae
do not demean it with your petty inclinations of what ms. kahale is known for.
when you obviously know nothing.
please.
thankyou.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 8, 2007 10:13 PM
i am a friend of her older cousin and have known marian sence she was in 5th or 4th grade she was a typical 18 year old girl. she was a sweet girl with a very big heart!!
all i have to say is what if this was your son or daughter would you like ppl sayn this about them just cause they were a normal 18 year old and not to mention IN GREAT GREIF!!!??? you didnt know her and neither did your kids.that ladies comment above really made me sick!!!
heartless bitch is all i have to say about her!
MARIAN WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU AT THIS TIME!
Posted by: JJ IS A HEARTLESS BITCH! | December 10, 2007 4:32 PM
I must say.
I agree.
Natasha Dannov and Marian Kahale were beautiful girls.
They made a bad decision; what teenager hasn't??
They made a mistake; what teenager hasn't??
You need to think about that.
I went to school with both of them.
they were free spirits; dreamers.
Don't judge people you don't even know.
Your kids obviously didn't know Tasha and Marian, so what makes anything you say right?
If your kids were friends with Tasha and Marian, then they can say as they please, but, please, don't look down on these two girls.
rest in peace natasha.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 19, 2007 1:24 AM
I love you, Natasha.
You're my only sister.
I miss you so much
and I can't stop weeping on this lonely Christmas Eve.
Your brother,
dave
Posted by: David Mark Dannov | December 24, 2007 11:22 PM
First of all, I have had classes with Marian Kahale. She was known to party often and drinkk a lot. To her friends she was an amazing beautiful young lady but if you didn't know her or the stakatamasbc group they would treat you like shit.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 25, 2007 9:13 AM
WAT THE HECK IS THAT GUYS PROBLEM..
IF YOUR KIDS WERE IN THIS SITUATION YOU WUD THIK DIFFERENTLY THEN RIGHT...FREAKIN HEARTLESS JERK
AND WHO CARES WAT OTHERS THOUGHT OF THEM THEY DIDNT SO WHY SHOULD WE...
NATASHA ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS...
AND MARIAN HANG IN THEIR SWEETIE WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU!!
Posted by: anonymuos | April 26, 2008 11:09 AM
and another thing...teenagers are teenagers...they make mistakes...this one just happened to be one that led to a sad ending...a lesson that we can all learn from...and there is no doubt i my mind that natasha is watching us and making sure that we are all safe and making sure we all make it through just fine...
Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2008 3:49 PM
MARIAN WAS A HEARTLESS BITCH WHO THOUGHT SHE COULD FIGHT EVERYBODY N THEIR MOMMAZ. KARAM IS A BITCHHHH. THATS ALL I GOTTA SAY.
RIP TASHA<33
Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2008 3:02 PM