California Injury Blog

Richard Ciancone, 58, was killed in a Huntington Beach car accident after his motorcycle was struck at a street intersection early morning on February 7, 2010. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred when Ciancone was riding his motorcycle west on Heil Avenue near Bradbury Lane. That's when Nathan Bower, 19, the driver of a 2007 Honda Element heading east on Heil, apparently attempted to turn left onto Bradbury Lane and collided with the motorcycle. Ciancone was ejected from the motorcycle and sustained fatal injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to everybody who knew and loved Richard Ciancone. I offer my deepest condolences to his family and friends for their devastating loss. This grieving family will certainly be in my prayers.

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Ryan Wade Woosley, 37, was killed in a Riverside car accident after his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle at a Palm Springs intersection. According to a news report on KMIR6, Woosley was riding his motorcycle east on Dinah Shore Drive the afternoon of January 15, 2010 when he crashed into a white Buick making a turn at Crossley Road. The Buick then collided with a BMW. Woosley died of his injuries. The driver and passenger of the Buick sustained minor injuries while BMW's driver and passenger were uninjured.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ryan Wade Woosley for their devastating loss. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

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A motorcyclist sustained serious injuries in a Los Angeles car accident that involved three other cars and a big rig. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the collision occurred the afternoon of December 7, 2009 on the 210 Freeway in Azusa. The motorcyclist, who has not yet been identified, sustained several injuries including a broken leg. He was taken to an area hospital. It is not clear who else was injured in this crash. An investigation is ongoing.

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Authorities are looking for the hit-and-run driver who they say caused a fatal Los Angeles car accident, which killed a motorcyclist the night of November 30, 2009. According to a City News Service report, a white Dodge van was traveling west on 120th Street when its driver sped through a red light and struck the man, who was riding a 2001 Suzuki motorcycle south on Main Street. The van then fled the scene of the accident. Los Angeles police said the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The suspect vehicle is described as a white, 1980s Dodge van with a blue stripe running down the middle of the vehicle. The driver is described as a black man with short hair, wearing black jeans and a white shirt that also has a blue stripe on the middle. The news story indicates that the motorcyclist may have been a member of the Street Heat Motorcycle Club. Anyone who witnessed this fatal hit-and-run car accident is asked to call the South Traffic Division detectives at 323-290-6063.

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A teenager was injured in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident after he was struck by a motorcyclist while walking on the street in an unincorporated area near Covina, California. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the 14-year-old boy was walking on Glendora Avenue the evening of November 12, 2009 near Arrow Highway when he was hit by the motorcycle. The teen sustained leg injuries and was taken to an area hospital. No one else was injured. However, the motorcyclist did not stop at the scene of the accident, but instead sped away at 50 to 70 mph, California Highway Patrol officials said. Witnesses are only able to describe the motorcycle as black and no description of the rider is available.

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Jim Harmon, 58, and his 57-year-old wife, Debbie Harmon, were killed in a California car accident the morning of September 19, 2009 in the Bakersfield area. According to an ABC news report, 74-year-old Hazel Halloran was driving a Buick north on Sierra Way in Kernville, California, when she lost control of her car and crashed head-on into the Harley Davidson motorcycle that Jim and Debbie Harmon were riding. The couple was thrown off the motorcycle. Both sustained fatal injuries.

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Randall "Randy" Phillips, a retired police officer, was killed September 12, 2009 in a
Los Angeles car accident on the 60 Freeway in Pomona that officials say was caused by a wrong way driver. Phillips was riding his motorcycle west on the 60 and on the connector road to the northbound 71 when he was hit head-on by a car driving the wrong way. Phillips was killed instantly. The driver then fled the scene of the crash. Officials discovered the hit-and-run vehicle abandoned, on a nearby surface street. If you saw this accident or have more information, please call California Highway Patrol's Santa Fe Springs Station at (562) 868-0503.

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Leland Lloyd, 53, of Lancaster, California, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Washington City, Utah, on August 8, 2009, according to a news report in The Salt Lake Tribune. A suspected drunk driver in a Ford Explorer reportedly made an illegal left turn in front of Lloyd causing him to crash and strike his head on the SUV. Officials said Lloyd, who was wearing a partial helmet, died from massive head injuries at the scene of the car accident. John Hanson, 54, the driver of the SUV, has been arrested on suspicion of automobile homicide, driving under the influence, open container and improper left turn.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Leland Lloyd for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Apparently, he was in the area visiting family at the time. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Lloyd. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Michael Edwards, 23, of Irvine was killed in an Orange County motorcycle accident the afternoon of July 25, 2009. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Edwards was riding by himself near Walnut Avenue and Wisteria in Irvine, California, when he collided with a Mercedes Benz. Officials found Edwards lying on the road on Walnut. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes, a 64-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The cause of this car versus motorcycle collision is yet to be determined. If you witnessed this fatal motorcycle crash, please contact Irvine Police Detective, Jonathan Cherney, at 949-724-7024.

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Mark Hampton Montgomery, 59, was killed in a Huntington Beach motorcycle accident after his motorcycle collided with a car the evening of June 26, 2009. According to an article in The Orange County Register, Montgomery was riding the motorcycle west on Garfield Avenue near Edwards Street. A gold, four-door sedan was traveling east on Garfield. The sedan then turned north onto Edwards ahead of Montgomery, who crashed into the car, Huntington Beach police said. Montgomery was wearing a helmet, but he died from injuries sustained in the motorcycle crash. If you saw this accident, please call the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714-536-5666.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mark Hampton Montgomery for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were no fatalities, but 55 injuries occurred involving motorcycle accidents in Huntington Beach. In Orange County as a whole, 24 fatalities and 752 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of motorcycle accidents.

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A La Habra police officer suffered leg injuries in an a Orange County motorcycle accident, The Orange County Register reports. The motorcycle accident occurred the afternoon of June 12, 2009 on La Habra Boulevard near Harbor Boulevard. La Habra police said the collision occurred when the motorcycle officer was traveling west on La Habra Boulevard and a black Honda Accord that was pulling out of a driveway struck him. The officer apparently sustained minor injuries. No one in the Accord was injured.

It is indeed fortunate that the La Habra police officer did not suffer serious injuries in this Orange County motorcycle accident. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatal motorcycle accident and 13 motorcycle accidents involving injuries in La Habra. In Orange County as a whole, 24 deaths and 752 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of motorcycle accidents.

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A man suffered major leg injuries in a San Diego motorcycle accident the morning of June 11, 2009, 10news reports. The motorcycle crash occurred when the man riding the motorcycle crashed into a pickup truck that was backing up in an unincorporated portion of El Cajon in San Diego County. The collision happened on Pepper Drive near Mollison Avenue. Paramedics took the injured motorcyclist to an area hospital.

My heart goes out to this injured victim. I hope he makes a quick and complete recovery from his serious leg injuries. Please keep him in your prayers.

According to data from the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatality and 29 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in El Cajon in 2007. In San Diego County as a whole, 50 deaths and 985 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.

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Edward Panetta, 53, of Ventura was killed in a Ventura County motorcycle accident near Lake Casitas on Highway 150 the afternoon of June 5, 2009, the Ventura County Star reports. Panetta had set off on a motorcycle ride and when he did not return his wife, Cindy Cash, filed a missing person's report. Panetta's son-in-law, Christopher Hess, who went looking for him the next day, found Panetta lying dead. California Highway Patrol officials determined that Panetta was riding west on Highway 150 when he lost control of his motorcycle.

Panetta was wearing a helmet and protective leather clothing at the time of the Lake Casitas motorcycle accident. His wife and family members say riding motorcycles was Panetta's passion and that he was an experienced rider. His wife says she believes the motorcycle accident could not have happened because of something Panetta did. "I just don't believe it was his own mistake, he's too careful," Cindy Cash tells the newspaper.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Edward Panetta for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my condolences to everyone who knew and loved Panetta, especially his wife, Cindy Cash. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were five fatalities and 210 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Ventura County.

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Timothy James Waite Jr., 20, died in a fatal Ventura County motorcycle accident the morning of May 27, 2009, KVTA reports. California Highway Patrol officials said Waite was northbound on Pacific Coast Highway when he failed to negotiate a curve to the right and entered the southbound lane. The motorcycle then collided with a southbound car. Waite was thrown off his motorcycle and over the car, landing on the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene even before a helicopter could transport him to a hospital. Another person in the car was also injured, but not seriously.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the young motorcycle accident victim for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were five fatalities and 210 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Ventura County.

Continue reading "Ventura County Motorcycle Accident Fatally Injuries Man In Point Mugu " »

A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer suffered serious personal injuries in a San Diego motorcycle accident after an out-of-control pickup truck struck his motorcycle when the officer was on the Interstate 15 in San Diego assisting another motorist. According to an article in the San Diego Union Tribune, the motorcycle officer, a 12-year CHP veteran, and another officer were parked in the median just south of the Interstate 8 the morning of May 26, 2009. They had been investigating a solo non-injury car crash when a man driving a green 2000 Toyota Tacoma entered the freeway from eastbound I-8 and veered across all lanes. The driver of the Toyota truck was identified as 43-year-old Brian Joseph Andrews.

The truck hit the median and slammed into the officer's BMW motorcycle and then hit him. The officer was caught under the truck and dragged before the Toyota came to stop in the center median. The officer suffered serious personal injuries, but was listed in good condition and said to be recovering in an area hospital. Andrews did not suffer serious injuries. The other officer was uninjured in the truck accident.

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Samuel Surles, 69, was killed in a San Bernardino motorcycle accident in Hesperia the morning of May 23, 2009, the San Bernardino Sun reports. Surles was riding a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle and had stopped for a red light at the intersection of Main and E streets in Hesperia. The driver of a 2001 Ford Explorer was stopped at the intersection as well. But as the light turned green, both drivers entered the intersection at the same time. The driver of the Explorer made a left turn in front of Surles causing him to crash into the front portion of the SUV. Surles was taken to an area hospital and was pronounced dead shortly afterward, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officials.

My heart goes out to the family of Samuel Surles for their sudden and tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to the motorcycle accident victim's family and friends. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatal motorcycle collision and seven personal injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Hesperia. In San Bernardino County as a whole, 28 fatalities and 627 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Motorcycle Accident Kills Man" »

Thomas Wilson, 54, died in a Dana Point motorcycle accident after losing control of his motorcycle the morning of May 17, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. Wilson was driving southbound on Crown Valley Parkway when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into the curb, Orange County Sheriff's Department officials said. The motorcycle crash happened near Seven Seas Drive in Dana Point, just inland of Pacific Coast Highway.

A witness at the scene who saw the motorcycle crash said Wilson was just riding down the street when he crashed, for no apparent reason. Investigators say Wilson was traveling at the posted speed limit and that no drugs or alcohol were involved.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Thomas Wilson for their tragic and sudden loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to the California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were no fatalities and seven injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Dana Point. In Orange County as a whole, 24 fatalities and 752 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.

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Diana Gail Vandenberg, 54, of Wildomar died in a Riverside motorcycle accident the morning of May 17, 2009, according to a news report in the Riverside Press Enterprise. The Hemet motorcycle accident occurred at the intersection of East Florida Avenue and Meridian Street in Hemet when Vandenberg's motorcycle struck a sports utility vehicle. Vandenberg was thrown from her motorcycle. She died about five hours after the car-motorcycle accident at a local hospital. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating this fatal motorcycle accident.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Diana Gail Vandenberg for their sudden and tragic loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Vandenberg. Please keep them in your prayers.

According the California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were no fatalities, but 18 injuries involving motorcycle crashes were reported in Hemet. In Riverside County as a whole, 41 deaths and 562 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.

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Nehalah May, a 9-year-old girl was killed in a May 10, 2009 Washington car-motorcycle accident after the motorcycle she was riding on crashed into another vehicle. According to a KXLY news report, 51-year-old Robin Scholz of Colfax was riding a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle on northbound Highway 195 with Nehalah when 89-year-old Esther Mae Westlund who was driving south on the highway made a left turn at Meadow lane, in front of Scholz. Washington State Patrol officials say Scholz probably did not have sufficient time to stop the motorcycle before striking Westlund's 1986 Oldsmobile.

Nehalah May was taken to an area hospital where she later died. Scholz also suffered serious personal injuries. Westlund was uninjured and was cited at the scene for second degree negligent driving. Troopers say Westlund caused the fatal car versus motorcycle crash by failing to yield right of way to Scholz's Harley. Both Scholz and Nehalah May were wearing helmets at the time of the Spokane motorcycle-car accident.

My heart goes out to the family of young Nehalah May for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. It's extremely unfortunate that this little girl died because of another driver's negligence. I offer my deepest sympathies to everybody who knew and loved Nehalah. I also wish Robin Scholz the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Dario Moreno, 30, of Rancho Santa Margarita, was killed in a Riverside motorcycle accident after he struck a sedan on the Ortega (74) Highway near the Lookout Roadhouse the morning of May 9, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. Moreno was apparently riding a 2006 Honda motorcycle when the fatal Lake Elsinore motorcycle accident occurred, California Highway Patrol officials said. Moreno was taken to a Wildomar hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after the motorcycle crash.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Dario Moreno, who was tragically killed in this motorcycle-car accident. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 traffic accident statistics, there was one death and 11 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Lake Elsinore. In Riverside County as a whole, 41 fatalities and 562 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.

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