Vallejo Tanker Truck Accident Kills One, Three Injured
A 2006 Honda Civic collided with a Freightliner tanker truck on Highway 37 Friday morning killing Micheal McIntosh, 24, of Travis Air Force Base according to Vallejo, California fire officials, as reported on the Times-Herald website.
The big rig accident occurred at about 2:30 a.m. when the Honda spun into the path of the oncoming Freightliner tanker truck, just west of the Mare Island Bridge the California Highway Patrol said. The driver of the Honda, Hannah Johnson, 20, of Fairfield allegedly lost control while traveling about 60 mph, east bound on Highway 37. Johnson sustained moderate injuries.
Jonathan Dinisio, 27, of Solvang, another passenger in the Honda, was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center with major injuries. According to the Times-Herald news report, fire officials said it took 19 minutes to extract Dinisio from the Honda after the 14 minutes it took to get McIntosh out. McIntosh died on the way to the hospital from major head injuries, fire officials said.
The big rig's driver, a 63-year-old Healdsburg man escaped with minor injuries and was not believed to be at fault.
This is truly a sad situation. One man is dead, another suffered major injuries and someone or something is to blame. If Johnson is at fault, she could be facing vehicular manslaughter charges, depending upon the circumstances. She was injured as well.
It is the CHP's job to investigate the truck accident and document what they find at the scene. The CHP's traffic collision report may come to a conclusion of fault and it may not. Most CHP accident scene investigators are very good. However, they are rarely experts in accident reconstruction. They rarely have the time or the resources to delve into the causes of a perplexing and complicated accident case, like television's CSI programs portray.
More likely than not, the trucking company that owns the involved Freightliner tanker truck has their investigators in the field investigating this accident already. They know it is to their benefit to have professional investigators on the scene as soon as possible to protect their interests.
If Johnson was my daughter, I would want my team of experts looking into this case before she gets charged with anything. If I was her insurance company, I'd surely have my experts out there.
The family of the two young men that were passengers would be well served getting attorneys on their side early, so they can investigate this tragedy. It could be that Johnson was going too fast for the conditions, dozed for a moment or otherwise lost control of her vehicle. There could have been a tire blow out or a mechanical failure that caused the accident. There could have been a dangerous road condition that should have been attended to by some governmental agency. The possibilities are endless.
Getting representation early is much better than late. Preservation of the Honda for evidence is crucial, especially if there was a tire or mechanical failure. Thoroughly investigating the road conditions is also crucial in determining the real cause.
Please keep the injured and the family of Mr. McIntosh in your prayers and best wishes.
Comments
I would like to say one thing. Why is it that the minute a tragedy occurs, someone must be to blame? The weather that night was terrible, severe rain on a poorly dim road. There are only 2 lanes where the accident occurred, and simply put, the car hydroplaned, putting us out of control. My friend Hannah is a very safe driver, and she was doing so that night. The driver was sober. Let us not focus on who we can blame and who can pay for this accident, but lets send warm wishes and prayers to the family of one of my best friends, Michaeul, who needs them. Hannah is suffering from a lot of emotional trauma, and I've got a broken leg in addition to 18 staples in my head. Please focus on care for the saddened by this tragedy, not payment for the law offices.
Posted by: Jon DiNisio | December 10, 2007 6:47 PM
I agree with Jon, why does it automatically have to go to blaming someone for the accident. It was just that, an accident! What is important now is giving our thoughts and prayers to Michaeul's family and friends who have suffered a great loss! And also to Jon and Hannah who themselves suffered physical injuries and the loss of a dear friend.
Posted by: Jillian | December 13, 2007 8:55 AM
Jon and Jillian,
First, it is very important, as Jillian suggests, to give “...our thoughts and prayers to Michaeul’s family and friends who have suffered...”.
However, identifying the cause of an accident is the first step in preventing future accidents. If we ignore errors in judgment or dangerous conditions we are likely to make the same mistakes again or allow a dangerous condition to continue to exist. By being aware of causes we can prevent future accidents.
If a car hydroplanes, the driver was going to fast for the road conditions and the condition of their vehicle. Very safe drivers sometimes make mistakes. If Hannah did hydroplane, she was going to fast. Maybe the condition of the road surface at the location of her hydroplaning was dangerous in that an excess amount of water was directed on to the roadway surface rather than off the surface. Maybe her tires were so warn that they hydroplaned at a low speed due to wear.
There are an infinite number of possibilites as to cause of an accident and cause of injuries in an accident. It is my job to represent people who have suffered due to someone elese’s negligence. People are going to suffer due to this tragic accident.
People are going to bear the burdens of this accident. Who should bear the those burdens? The people that are to “blame” or the people who are innocent victims?
When all the dust clears and there are tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills to be paid, a life lost, possible criminal charges and a lawsuit by the tanker truck company for the damages to their truck, the people who made smart decisions about their legal rights, legal representation and preserving evidence will be better positioned to protect themselves and their legal options.
Part of the purpose of my blog to be a source of information for those who might not be thinking of their rights, liabilities and how best to protect their interests. So I supply a general overview and suggested actions people can take to protect themselves. It is up to my readers to decide how they want to proceed. I am supplying information so they can make informed decisions.
Many people come to us months or years after an accident for help with their accident losses. Many times they have come to late. Many times evidence is lost. Their position has been compromised by their failure to act swiftly and wisely. I am attempting to keep these people from being victimized a second time.
Posted by: John Bisnar | December 13, 2007 10:27 AM