California Injury Blog

A passenger was killed and a driver was injured in a Los Angeles car accident when a vehicle travelling about 100 mph crashed. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the high-speed car accident happened the afternoon of August 30, 2010 on Turnbull Canyon Road in Hacienda Heights. Eyewitnesses told officials that a black Honda Accord and a blue Honda Civic were racing on the roadway.

The Accord, which was traveling at nearly 100 mph, crashed. The Honda Civic left the scene of the crash without waiting for authorities. The driver of the Accord sustained moderate injuries while the passenger died. Authorities are searching for the driver of the blue Civic. An investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Car Accident Caused by Suspected Street Race" »

Five people including two children were injured in a Sacramento car accident after a pickup truck and a minivan crashed on the Interstate 80. California Highway Patrol officials say the accident occurred the morning of August 24, 2010 on the eastbound I-80 between the Watt Avenue and Auburn Boulevard exits. The driver of the pickup truck apparently ran away from the scene of the crash. Officials are still looking for the driver. All five injured victims were in the minivan. The extent of the victims' injuries is not known. An investigation is ongoing.

If you have any information about a hit-and-run crash, please visit our web site at www.hitandrunreward.com for more information about how to offer anonymous tips. Remember, any relevant information could prove invaluable to law enforcement officials and may help them apprehend the suspect and bring him or her to justice.

I sympathize with all those who were injured in this crash and wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Sacramento Car Accident Injures Five " »

A man, who was fatally injured in a pedestrian accident in the Lakeview Terrace area, has been identified by local authorities as 49-year-old Alberto Sandoval. According to a City News Service report, the fatal collision occurred on Foothill Boulevard when 58-year-old Paula Larene Dautremont lost control of her vehicle, struck a parked truck and then collided with Sandoval. He died as a result of injuries sustained in this crash. No one was cited or arrested pending an official investigation.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Alberto Sandoval. I offer my deepest sympathies to them. They will be in my prayers.

Continue reading "Fatal Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident " »

Mai Hayakawa, 22, was killed in an Anaheim car accident which involved a suspected drunk driver, The Orange County Register reports. California Highway Patrol officials say that the fatal car crash occurred the night of August 22, 2010 on the southbound 57 Freeway's transition road to the 91 Freeway.

Hayakawa was a passenger in a Toyota Celica driven by 24-year-old Michael Keating, who officials say, was under the influence at the time. The crash occurred when Keating attempted to pass a semi-trailer by driving on the right shoulder of the road. He lost control of the car, went off the roadway and struck a palm tree. Hayakawa was killed. Another female passenger in the Toyota, 22-year-old Alyssa Unruh, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Keating was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving.

Continue reading "Fatal Orange County Car Accident Involves Suspected Drunk Driver" »

Four people were injured in a Calabasas personal injury accident due to an elderly driver. The intersection accident occurred when an 81-year old woman made a left turn in her Audi A4 and collided with Four bicyclists, according to a Los Angeles Times news report. The accident occurred while the elderly driver was traveling westbound on Mulholland Highway approaching Stokes Canyon Road at 7:30 a.m. Three of the riders suffered critical injuries while the forth received minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured.

View Larger Map

Continue reading "Calabasas Car Accident Injures Four Bicyclists" »

Marc William Durham, 65, was fatally injured in a San Diego car accident, which officials say, was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a 10news report, the fatal collision occurred the night of August 20, 2010, at the intersection of Camino Del Norte and Carmel Mountain Road in San Diego. Police say a 57-year-old man rear-ended Durham's vehicle, which was stopped at a red light and triggered a chain reaction crash involving several other vehicles. Several others sustained minor injuries. However, Durham was killed in the crash. The man who caused the crash is suspected of driving under the influence. An investigation is ongoing.

View Larger Map

Continue reading "Fatal San Diego Car Accident" »

Jason Booth, 39, the driver of a 1965 Ford truck and his passenger, 33-year-old Guillermo Gutierrez, were injured in a car accident the morning of August 18, 2010, after their vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle on Highway 20. According to a news report in the Colusa County Sun-Herald, 36-year-old Ruben Medina, who was westbound on Highway 20, crashed into the stopped Ford truck, which was about to make a left turn on O'Hair Road.

California Highway Patrol officials said Booth had fully stopped the truck and had his left turn signal on, but Medina was not able to stop in time to avoid the violent crash. Booth and Gutierrez were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Medina was uninjured. An investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading "Car Accident in Colusa County Causes Injuries" »

A man who died nearly two weeks after he was involved in a bicycle accident in Newport Beach has been identified as 65-year-old Dan Crain. The Orange County Register reports that the Irvine man was riding his bike the night of August 3, 2010, southbound on Newport Coast Drive, when a car merged on to the roadway from the 73 Toll Road and struck him. The car's driver was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the bicyclist. Crain went through several spinal surgeries, but died August 15, 2010.

My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved Dan Crain. By all accounts, Crain was a much-loved personality in his community and an experienced, avid bicyclist. His loved ones will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Proves Fatal" »

Eric Vernon Hayman, 34, was killed in a Sacramento car accident after he was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road the night of August 16, 2010. According to a KXTV news report, the fatal pedestrian collision occurred when Hayman was walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road, in Elk Grove. A Honda Del Sol, traveling south on Waterman, struck him. Hayman was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Officials say drugs or alcohol were not involved. No arrests were made or citations issued pending an official investigation.

Continue reading "Sacramento Car Accident Kills Pedestrian in Crosswalk" »

Seven people were injured in a Los Angeles car accident after two cars struck each other on a busy Reseda street. According to a CBS News report, the two cars were traveling north on Louise Avenue the night of August 17, 2010, when one vehicle tried to pass the other. This resulted in the collision. The vehicles then hit the curb, a power pole and then went into the front yard of a home. No one was in the home at the time of the crash. But seven people in both cars including a 5-year-old child were hurt. Three of the seven victims sustained critical injuries. However, everyone is expected to survive. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone injured in this San Fernando Valley car crash. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Car Accident Injures Seven" »

Five people were injured in a Newport Beach car accident, which officials say, was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Daily Pilot, the injury collision occurred when Carol Nadine Quiroz, 18, of Santa Ana, lost control of her 1997 Acura Integra on southbound Newport Boulevard, near Hoag Drive. Quiroz crossed the center median and crashed head-on into a northbound Dodge truck. Quiroz is in critical condition and four others suffered injuries, which are believed to be non-life-threatening. Quiroz will likely face felony drunk driving charges.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was injured in this crash. I hope they all recover quickly and completely from their injuries.

Continue reading "Newport Beach Car Accident Involves Suspected Drunk Driver" »

Three people were killed and four sustained injuries in a Fresno car accident on Highway 140 the afternoon of August 14, 2010. According to a news report in The Fresno Bee, the deceased victims were identified as Chowchilla residents Deana Smith, 39, Michael Smith, 43, and Sharon Law, a 55-year-old woman from El Portal. Officials say the fatal crash occurred in Mariposa County near Colorado Road when a Ford Bronco driven by 18-year-old Marissa Fuqua, crossed a double yellow line and collided with a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Ford Escape. The driver and passenger of the motorcycle were killed, as was the driver of the Ford Escape. Fuqua and three passengers in the Bronco were injured.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved these deceased victims. I also hope the victims who have been injured in this crash make a quick and complete recovery. Please keep these accident victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Fresno Area Car Accident Leaves Three Dead " »

Five people were injured, one seriously, in a car accident on August 7, 2010 on Highway 46, according to a news report in the Paso Robles Press. The injury collision occurred when Megan M. Lira, who was driving a 2007 Chevy Malibu west on the highway, braked hard to avoid a Chevy pickup truck that had suddenly slowed down in front of her. Lira's Malibu veered across into opposing lanes of traffic. Paul Greidanus, who was driving a Chevy Silverado east on the highway, swerved to stop from hitting the out-of-control car. But he ended up striking the rear of the Malibu.

Continue reading "Car Accident in Visalia Causes Injuries " »

Andrea Christle, 39, sustained major injuries the morning of August 8, 2010 in a San Francisco car accident after another driver made an illegal turn at a street intersection. According to a news report in the Napa Valley Register, 32-year-old Pedro Perez Mota, driving a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer, turned left against a red arrow at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 29, in Napa. The Lancer crashed into Christle's 1997 Jeep Cherokee.

Continue reading "San Francisco Area Car Accident Injures Four" »

Caroline McElhaney, 52, was killed in a San Diego car accident after her vehicle was rear-ended by another driver changing lanes on the 15 Freeway in Escondido. According to a 10news report, a southbound 1999 Dodge Ram changed lanes near Ninth Street, the morning of August 9, 2010, and could not avoid rear-ending McElhaney's Mercedes-Benz, which was stopped for traffic ahead.

The impact from the collision forced the 2001 Mercedes into the back of a Toyota Avalon, which in turn collided with a Toyota Sienna. McElhaney was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead. The drivers of the Avalon and the Sienna, as well as a passenger in the Sienna, all suffered minor injuries. Jackson Redmond, a 28-year-old Colton resident, who was driving the Dodge Ram, was not injured in the crash.

Continue reading "Fatal San Diego Car Accident " »

A man who was fatally injured in a San Bernardino car accident the morning of August 3, 2010, has been identified by officials as 21-year-old Luke Eller. According to a news report in The San Bernardino County Sun, the 2010 Mazda in which Eller was a passenger went out of control on Lone Pine Canyon Road, rolled over and crashed. The driver of the Mazda, 20-year-old Daniel Sigala, left the scene of the crash. Eller, who was partially ejected from the vehicle, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Luke Eller. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Man Killed in San Bernardino Car Accident" »

A DUI collision in Tulare County injured Sheriff's Deputy Benjamin Quintana the morning of August 2, 2010. According to a news report in The Fresno Bee, a 25-year-old man who was traveling east on Avenue 328 near Highway 63 crossed over the center line and slammed head-on into Quintana's police cruiser. Quintana sustained injuries, which were not life-threatening. The other driver was uninjured.

It is indeed fortunate that Quintana was not catastrophically injured in this crash. I wish the police officer the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Car Accident in Tulare County Injures Police Officer" »

Ted Consoli, a 58-year-old man from Seaside, was killed in a car accident the evening of July 30, 2010. The Monterey Herald reports that Consoli was driving east on Holman Highway in his 2004 BMW Z4, when a 2000 Ford Explorer struck him. The Explorer was heading west when it crossed over to the eastbound lanes and hit Consoli's BMW. After colliding with the BMW, the Ford then crashed into a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado that had been driving behind the BMW.

Thomas Littlefield, the 61-year-old driver of the Ford SUV, told officials that he might have fallen asleep at the wheel. Andrew Kennedy, 32, and Heather Lauren, 33, the occupants of the Silverado, sustained minor to moderate injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading "Prominent Chef Killed in Car Accident " »

A bicycle accident in Petaluma resulted in serious injuries for a 50-year-old man the morning of July 23. KTVU News reports that the man was riding his bike on the shoulder of the Highway 101 near Kastania Road when he was struck by a van that drifted from traffic lanes on to the shoulder. Officials are still trying to determine what caused the driver of the GMC van, 63-year-old Nicolay Pokornyy, to drift over to the shoulder. The bicyclist was taken to a regional medical center with serious injuries.

My heart goes out to this injured bicyclist and his family. I hope he has not sustained major injuries and pray that he makes a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Man Hurt in San Francisco Area Bicycle Accident " »

Misty Duran, 20, sustained major injuries in a DUI collision the afternoon of July 18, 2010 in Willits. According to a report in The Willits News, Kayla Grace Chesser, 21, was driving a 2003 Honda Civic north on Highway 101 at a high rate of speed when she drifted off the road. California Highway Patrol officials say Chesser lost control of the car, crossed over four lanes of traffic and narrowly missed a vehicle before veering off the roadway.

The Civic then went down an embankment and rolled over coming to rest on its roof. Duran, who was the passenger, suffered several serious injuries including a broken neck and pelvis. She was transported to a regional hospital for treatment of those and other injuries. Chesser sustained minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving causing injury.

Continue reading "DUI Crash in Mendocino County Causes Major Injuries" »