California Injury Blog

February 1, 2012—Santa Rosa, CA—44-year-old Monica Shears died Monday from burns sustained in a house fire last week, authorities reported.

Ms. Shears was discovered on the ground just inside the doorway to her apartment on Sebastapol Road on January 16. Firefighters entered the building to fight a blaze which started in an empty bedroom on the second floor of the building. According to Battalion Chief Mark Basque, an empty gasoline can was found in the bedroom where the fire started. Sprinklers were able to contain the blaze, which was extinguished in about five minutes. No charges have been filed in the case at present.

Ms. Shears suffered second- and third-degree burns over the upper part of her body. She had earlier been transferred to the Bothin Burn Center at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco.

I want to extend my sincere and heartfelt condolences to Ms. Shears’s family and friends during this difficult time.

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Louisa Valdovinos, 55, of Menifee, was killed in a Riverside car accident, which officials report involved a suspected drunk driver. According to a news article in The Press Enterprise, the fatal DUI collision occurred on Winchester Road south of Scott Road near Menifee, during the early morning hours of January 29, 2012. Officials say 30-year-old Jason M. Richter, of Oceanside was under the influence of alcohol when his Pontiac Grand Am drifted into oncoming traffic and struck a Toyota Corolla. The driver of the Corolla, Valdovinos, died at the scene of the crash. Richter sustained critical injuries, while his wife suffered moderate injuries. Richter may face DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Louisa Valdovinos following this tragic DUI collision. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Jose Javier Diaz, 55, was fatally injured in a Santa Ana car accident after he was struck by two vehicles while crossing the street. According to a CBS news report, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred in the 400 block of South Broadway Street, the night of January 28, 2012. Police say Diaz was walking across Broadway when a white pickup truck traveling northbound hit him, knocking him into the southbound lane where a green Ford Mustang with a black convertible top struck him. Both, the pickup truck and the Ford left the scene. Anyone with information about this incident or the about the hit-and-run vehicles is asked to call Santa Ana police at 714-245-8701.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Jose Javier Diaz, who was killed in this hit-and-run car accident. The report states that Diaz was a U.S. Navy veteran. Heartbreaking! Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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According to KSL, a 14 year-old from Tremonton, Utah passed away after being shot in the face with a miniature replica cannon. The cannon was designed for displays only and not meant to fire projectiles. This unfortunate event began with two boys handling a replica of an 18th Century Naval cannon, yet it quickly descended into a wrongful death Utah. Our condolences go out to this family and friends of this young teen. This situation is a great example of when hiring a wrongful death attorney is appropriate.

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Victor Joseph Scallo, 44, was killed in a San Bernardino County car accident involving a hit-and-run driver. According to news reports, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred on San Bernardino Avenue near Commerce Street in Fontana, during the early morning hours of January 22, 2012. Scallo was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Officials are looking for the driver who apparently fled the collision site. So far, no witnesses have come forward. A vehicle and suspect description has not yet been made available.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Victor Joseph Scallo for their devastating loss in this hit-and-run car accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Harold Tolliver, 92, was killed in a San Diego car accident when a vehicle hit him as he crossed the street in an unmarked crosswalk. According to a U-T San Diego news report, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Shoreline and Toscana drives in University City, the morning of January 17, 2012. Officials say Tolliver was crossing the road when a 43-year-old driver in a car with "fogged up" windows struck him. Tolliver died later that afternoon in a hospital. Officials have not cited the driver involved in the collision, but the crash remains under investigation.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Harold Tolliver for their devastating loss. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Continue reading "Elderly Man Killed in San Diego Car Accident " »

Terrell Conner, 26, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident after he was struck by a vehicle. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal hit-and-run collision occurred early morning on January 8, 2012 along Vineyard Avenue, near Ninth Street, in Rancho Cucamonga. Witnesses told officials that a Ford F-150 pickup truck was parked near the scene and that a man walked away from the victim toward the truck before driving away. Officials have not said this person is the hit-and-run driver, but they are saying that he is a "person of interest." Anyone with information about this fatal accident is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at 909-477-2800.

My deepest condolences go out to the family members and friends of Terrell Conner following this tragic hit-and-run car accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Upcoming 26-year-old comedian Angelo Bowers was killed in a Los Angeles car accident that was caused by a suspected drunk driver, who also attempted to flee the scene. According to a KTLA news report, the fatal DUI collision occurred early morning on January 3, 2012 at the intersection of Vine and Yucca streets in Hollywood. Bowers was a passenger in a Jeep Wrangler that was northbound on Vine when a Toyota Matrix hit it.

Officials say the 21-year-old male DUI suspect, who was driving the Toyota, had caused an earlier crash by making an illegal U-turn at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue and hitting a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria taxicab. Bowers was fatally injured while the driver of the Jeep Wrangler, Bowers' friend and fellow comedian Josh Adam Meyers, suffered major injuries. The hit-and-run driver is expected to be booked for murder after he is released from the hospital.

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Patricia Dora Martin, 82, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was hit by an SUV while crossing at an intersection. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred at 30th Street and Howard Avenue in North Park, the afternoon of January 1, 2012. Martin was walking across the intersection when a 2011 Toyota RAV4 driven by a man struck her. Martin suffered massive head injuries. She died about six hours later at a local hospital. Police are still looking into the cause of this fatal collision.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Patricia Dora Martin for their tragic loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Karen Lee Henthorn, 60, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk. According to news reports in The Press-Enterprise and The San Bernardino County Sun, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of East Lynwood Drive and North Mountain Avenue, the evening of December 26, 2011. Officials say a 1994 Honda sedan hit Henthorn as she was walking in the crosswalk. She was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after the incident. Officials say drugs or alcohol were not factors. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family members and friends of Karen Lee Henthorn for their tragic and devastating loss. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.

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Anthony Medina, 22, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a KABC news report, the hit-and-run car accident occurred on Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles, the night of December 15, 2011. Medina was crossing the road when a 2008-2010 blue Subaru Impreza struck and fatally injured him. The family and the authorities are now requesting information regarding the whereabouts of the driver. A video of the crash has been posted online to get tips from viewers who recognize the vehicle.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Anthony Medina for their terrible loss. My heart goes out to his family members who are grappling with many questions here, especially with the hit-and-run driver still at large. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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A 47-year-old bicyclist was killed in an Orange County car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver, the night of December 13, 2011. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the bicycle accident occurred at the intersection of Serrano Road and Ridge Route in Lake Forest. Police say the male bicyclist was hit by a white van. The hit-and-run vehicle was last seen leaving the crash northbound on Serrano Road. The bicyclist was transported to a nearby hospital with massive head injuries. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Anyone with information about this fatal hit-and-run accident is asked to contact investigators at 855-847-6227.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of this deceased hit-and-run car accident victim. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Celia Torres, 73, and her grandson, David Gonzalez, 16, were killed in a San Diego car accident, which police report, involved a drunk driver. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the fatal DUI collision occurred on state Route 125 outside of Fletcher Hills, the night of December 9, 2011. Officials say Celia Torres was traveling at approximately five miles per hour in heavy traffic when a truck slammed into the back of her Nissan Pathfinder. The collision set off a chain-reaction crash involving four vehicles and resulted in two vehicles becoming engulfed in flames.

Celia Torres and David Gonzalez were trapped inside the Nissan Pathfinder and "burned to death within a minute." The driver of the truck, Justin Foulds, 39, of Lemon Grove, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. Foulds told officials that he had just attended an office Christmas party.

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Denley Angeles, 18, was killed in an Anaheim car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing a busy roadway to catch a bus. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the morning of December 1, 2011 at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue. Police say Angeles had just gotten off a bus and was trying to cross the street to catch another bus when a Toyota Camry hit her. Investigators are still looking into who had the right of way at the time. No citations or arrests have been reported. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Denley Angeles for their tragic, heartbreaking and untimely loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Killed in Anaheim Car Accident" »

Marcos Stead, 48, was killed in a Huntington Beach car accident after he was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred on Beach Boulevard, between Edinger Avenue and Stark Drive, in Huntington Beach, the night of November 24, 2011. Officials have not stated if Stead was in a crosswalk at the time of the crash. He was struck by a BMW X5, whose driver remained at the site to speak with authorities. Stead was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The 52-year-old female driver has not been cited for the collision, but the accident remains under investigation.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Marcos Stead following this tragic car accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Larry Dean Hughes, 62, was fatally injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a Ford Mustang struck him and left the scene of the crash. According to a City News Service report, the major injury pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Exposition Boulevard at Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles, the early morning of November 21, 2011. LAPD officials say Hughes was walking south on Normandie Avenue while crossing Exposition in a marked crosswalk, when the Mustang hit him. The Mustang made a right turn onto Exposition and kept driving without stopping to help the injured pedestrian.

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Joseph Quezada, 20, was killed in an Orange County car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal crash occurred the evening of November 19, 2011 at the intersection of Cypress Street and Lambert Road in La Habra. Officials report the collision involved a white Toyota 4Runner, a black Nissan Xterra, a U-Haul truck, and a blue Hyundai Accent. The driver and passenger of the U-Haul, identified as 18-year-old Richard Ambriz and 19-year-old Dustin Lish, fled the scene of the collision, but were later arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. Quezada, the driver of the Hyundai, was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries. Officials are still investigating the cause of the accident.

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James McClain, 56, of Costa Mesa, was killed in a Newport Beach car accident after being hit by a car. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the night of November 11, 2011 on Irvine Avenue near Anniversary Lane in Newport Beach. Officials have not released information regarding how or why the fatal collision occurred. McClain was pronounced dead during the early morning hours of November 12, 2011 at a nearby hospital.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family members and friends of James McClain for their terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers are with this grieving family.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Killed in Newport Beach Car Accident" »

Ozenia Brown, 79, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after she was struck by a van while walking in a marked crosswalk. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the evening of November 10, 2011 at the intersection of 110th Street and Western Avenue in South Los Angeles. Officials say the driver of the Chevrolet van, 70-year-old James Willie Douglas, failed to yield the right of way to Brown, who was in a crosswalk. Douglas was uninjured. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. No charged have been filed against Douglas. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Ozenia Brown for their tremendous loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Elderly Woman Killed in Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident" »

Gary De La Rosa, 40, was fatally injured in a Costa Mesa car accident after he was hit by a vehicle while crossing the roadway. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal pedestrian crash occurred near the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Bay Street, early morning on November 11, 2011. Costa Mesa police say De La Rosa was walking and pushing an empty wheelchair on Harbor Boulevard south of Bay Street, when a southbound Jaguar struck him. De La Rosa died at the scene. Officials have not cited or arrested the driver pending an official investigation. Anyone who witnessed the fatal crash is asked to contact Costa Mesa police at 714-754-5264.

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