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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A security company worker who was killed in a Riverside car accident has been identified by local officials as 62-year-old Paul John Rado. The Mountain News reports that Rado was on the job when he was driving a 2003 Ford Ranger pickup truck on the Highway 189, when he suddenly lost control and crashed, the morning of January 19, 2010. The truck rolled down an embankment and overturned. Rado was found by a co-worker who came looking for him when he did not return from his morning rounds. California Highway Patrol officials are looking into what caused this fatal car accident.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Paul John Rado for their tragic loss. His grieving family will certainly be in my prayers.

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Sylvia Ziranda, 38, was killed in a car accident the night of January 20, 2010 after the vehicle in which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver, according to the Visalia Times Delta. California Highway Patrol officials said 23-year-old Tomas Hernandez was driving a 1991 Honda north on Road 204 near List Avenue, in Exeter, when he lost control and crashed head-on with a southbound Nissan pickup truck. Andres Rubio Soltero, 42, who was the driver of the Nissan, sustained minor injuries while his passenger, Ziranda, died from her injuries. Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and was transported to a Fresno hospital in critical condition.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Sylvia Ziranda, who have suffered a tremendous loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. Please keep them in your prayers. I'm also relieved that Soltero did not suffer any catastrophic injuries in this accident. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery from his injuries.

Continue reading "California DUI Car Accident Proves Fatal for Woman" »

Feng Zhu, 54, was killed in a San Francisco car accident after she was struck while walking in a crosswalk along a busy residential street in the West Portal area. According to a news report in the San Francisco Examiner, Zhu was walking north on Sloat Boulevard near Forest View Drive the evening of January 6, 2010 when she was hit by a vehicle driven by a 68-year-old man. The crosswalk in which Zhu was walking was unlit, police said. Zhu was taken to a local hospital where she died the following morning. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Feng Zhu. My heart goes out especially to her grieving family members. They will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "San Francisco Car Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

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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Gustavo Ramirez, 30, was killed the morning of January 5, 2010 in a Long Beach truck accident after his bicycle was struck by a big rig. According to a news report in The Press Telegram, the accident occurred at the intersection of Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village Drive. Ramirez was riding east on the south sidewalk of Shoreline when he entered the crosswalk on the south side of the street. That was when he hit the big rig as it turned right from eastbound Shoreline onto Shoreline Village Drive. Police are still looking into what exactly caused this fatal accident. Ramirez crashed into the right side of the trailer just behind the cab. Investigators are looking into whether Ramirez might have been distracted or if he simply misjudged his speed.

I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this avid bicyclist. Apparently Ramirez was an experienced rider. My heart goes out to his family as well as the cycling community in Long Beach that is grieving his loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Corbin White, 18, was killed in an Orange car accident after the vehicle in which she was a passenger was rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the accident occurred early morning on January 3, 2010 at the intersection of Main Street and MacArthur Boulevard in Santa Ana when 36-year-old Robert Charles Serrano slammed his BMW into a Toyota Scion carrying White, who died the next day from her injuries. Serrano fled the scene of the accident, but was arrested shortly afterward at the home of a relative. He has been charged with one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one felony count of fleeing an accident scene.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this young victim, Corbin White, for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this teenager. Please keep them in your prayers.

Continue reading "Fatal Orange County DUI Car Accident" »

A 65-year-old man was killed in a San Diego car accident the morning of January 3, 2010, after an SUV plowed into the restaurant where he was eating breakfast and struck him. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the silver Honda CRV, driven by a 74-year-old man, slammed into a Carl's Jr. restaurant in El Cajon and sent the man hurtling from the front booth where he was eating, to the other side of the building. The driver, who has not been identified, sustained moderate injuries. No one else was injured in the crash.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this victim for their heartbreaking loss. Employees at the Carl's Jr. said the man was a regular for breakfast at their restaurant. Tragic! This grieving family will certainly be in my prayers.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Kills Man Eating Breakfast" »

The Los Angeles Times published an article this week about the challenges faced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal auto safety agency that was created as a response to Ralph Nader's career-making book "Unsafe at Any Speed." Nader's 1965 book highlighted auto product defects and design defects, which plagued American automobiles. The NHTSA was the government's answer to Nader's valid questions.

But the Times article shows how in fact the agency has consistently failed since its inception. It takes the example of the seatback defect issue stating how NHTSA tried to fix the issue, but as always, buckled under pressure exerted by auto industry lobbyists. Like all other important auto product defect issues, the lack of seatback strength in most vehicles (American and Japanese), was also tabled by the NHTSA after auto industry lobbyists raised their meritless arguments.

Continue reading "Federal Auto Safety Agency Did Nothing about Seatback Defects, Report Says" »

Jose Villaneuva, 26, was killed in a San Francisco truck accident after a dump truck backed over him, according to a Bay City News report. Villaneuva was apparently helping a Redwood City dump truck back up near Marine Parkway and Twin Dolphin Drive the afternoon of December 22, 2009, when it struck him. Villaneuva was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are still investigating the cause of this fatal accident. Anyone who witnessed this accident or has more information is asked to call Redwood City police at 650-780-7100.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family of Jose Villaneuva for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

Continue reading "Man Killed in San Francisco Area Truck Accident" »

An 82-year-old man was fatally injured in a Los Angeles car accident after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in Santa Monica, the morning of December 15, 2009. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the elderly pedestrian was crossing at 18th Street and California Avenue when he was hit. Santa Monica police officials say the vehicle was heading west on California Avenue. The pedestrian was walking east in an unmarked crosswalk. The driver then made a left turn and struck the pedestrian. The critically injured pedestrian was transported to a local hospital where he died two days later. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this victim. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

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

Anthony Cole DeWeese, an 8-year-old boy was killed and five others were injured in a San Diego boating accident the night of December 20, 2009, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The accident occurred after a U.S. Coast Guard vessel responding to an emergency call struck a pleasure boat during the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. The 33-foot Coast Guard boat crashed into the smaller 24-foot boat near Harbor Island. Both boats made it to shore. The child, who was a passenger in the smaller boat, was transported to a local hospital where he later died. Officials said five people on the smaller boat were also taken to a hospital with major injuries. Several local law enforcement agencies as well as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.

My heart goes out to the family of young Anthony, who has been tragically killed during this holiday cruise, when thousands had come out to witness the lighted boat parade. The news report indicates that the child was the son of Alan DeWeese, the pleasure boat's captain. Tragic! Please keep this grieving family in your prayers. I also wish the five injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Child Killed, Five Others Injured in San Diego Boating Accident" »

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.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Car Accident Kills Motorcyclist" »

Miguel Ledezma, 37, was killed in a Riverside car accident after a U.S. Postal Service truck hit the bicycle he was riding. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the two vehicles were involved in a head-on crash, which occurred in a left-turn lane that was being shared by traffic from both directions along Florida Avenue. The fatal bicycle accident occurred the night of November 30, 2009 and Ledezma was pronounced dead later that night. Hemet police say the bicycle did have a light, but it was a small flashlight taped to the bike's frame and pointed backward. The mail truck was apparently traveling at about 20 mph.

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Officials in Sacramento are looking for a hit-and-run driver who caused a deadly car accident in California that killed 4-year-old Jonathan Vazquez the morning of November 30, 2009. According to a CBS news report, officials have released video and a description of the vehicle, which they say, struck Jonathan as he was standing outside Smythe Academy and dragged him several feet before speeding away. Jonathan died from his injuries a few hours after the accident in an area hospital.

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Bernardino Rincon, 4, was killed in a Ventura car accident after an elderly driver caused a chain reaction crash the morning of November 30, 2009. The Ventura County Star reports that a car driven by 84-year-old Richard Levens struck the Rincon family's minivan. Levens apparently first hit two cars that were stopped at a traffic light on westbound Santa Rosa Road and then spun out and hit the minivan, which was traveling eastbound. California Highway Patrol officials said the van then accelerated going on to the dirt shoulder of the roadway before striking a tree and rolling over. Bernardino, who was thrown from the vehicle and pinned underneath the van, died shortly afterward at a local hospital.

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A family of four was killed in a California car accident, which officials say, was caused by a speeding driver who ran red light. The car crash killed Jonathan Maloney, 45; his wife Susan Maloney, 42; and their children Grace, 5 and Aiden, 8. The at-fault driver, 19-year-old Steven Culbertson also died from injuries suffered in the crash. California Highway Patrol officials said Culbertson was driving a Mini Cooper the night of November 28, 2009 at 70 to 90 mph on Lakeville Highway when he hit a southbound 2004 Honda CRV driven by 61-year-old Thomas Graham. He then continued south through a red light at Highway 37 and T-boned the Maloneys' minivan. The van was then pushed into a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant driven by 52-year-old Carrie Rodriguez.

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Jose Dominguez, 19, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident the night of November 21, 2009 after he was struck by a vehicle while walking in Loma Linda, California. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies found Dominguez at the intersection of Redlands Boulevard and Mountain View Avenue where he was struck by a 2004 Honda Civic. Dominguez was taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after the accident.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Car Accident Leaves Pedestrian Dead" »

Kristen Bedard, 36, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was struck by a suspected drunk driver while walking down a Poway street. According to a 10news report, Bedard was walking north on a sidewalk in the 13700 block of Community Road in Poway the morning of November 23, 2009 when a southbound vehicle driven by 44-year-old Becky Marie Anderson veered off the roadway and struck Bedard, who died at the scene. San Diego County Sheriff's deputies arrested Anderson on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Killed in San Diego DUI Car Accident" »

Cydil Kohlmeyer, 35, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was struck by a suspected drunk driver, while walking on a street, 10news reports. Kohlmeyer was walking in the 1200 block of Pepper Drive the night of November 21, 2009 when an eastbound pickup truck driven by 51-year-old Deborah Felix, went off the roadway and hit her.

The out-of-control pickup truck then continued on and plowed into several mailboxes, a parked truck, a fence, crossed two front yards and crashed into a house. Felix tried to run away from the scene, but several neighbors caught and held her at the scene, California Highway Patrol officials said. Felix was taken to a hospital and then arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. Kohlmeyer was transported to a local hospital where she died during surgery, the San Diego County Coroner's office reported.

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