California Injury Blog
Monica Varillas, 21, was injured in an Anaheim car accident, which officials say, was caused by a driver who made an unsafe left turn and also fled the scene. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred the morning of December 19, 2011 at the intersection of Euclid Street and Catherine Drive. Police say Varillas was driving a Honda Civic south on Euclid Street with her 1-year-old child.
A Chevy Cavalier made a left turn in front of the Civic at the intersection. The male driver of the Cavalier abandoned his car about 50 feet from the Civic and walked away from the scene. Varillas was hospitalized with injuries, but the child was uninjured. Officials are still looking for the hit-and-run driver. He was last spotted at a 7-Eleven market near the scene of the crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with Monica Varillas, the injured victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 29 fatalities and 1,970 injuries occurred involving car accidents in Anaheim. During the same year, 141 people were killed and 13,373 were injured due to Orange County car accidents.
Possible Stop Sign Violation
Based on this news report, the collision occurred at the intersection of Euclid Street and Catherine Drive, which is monitored by a two-way stop sign. While traffic on Catherine Drive is required to stop and yield the right-of-way before turning on to Euclid, there are no stop signs on Euclid. It appears that the driver of the Chevrolet turned into the path of the Honda without yielding the right-of-way.
According to California Vehicle Code Section 21802 (a): “The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection shall stop as required by Section 22450. The driver shall then yield the right-of-way to any vehicles which have approached from another highway, or which are approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to those vehicles until he or she can proceed with reasonable safety.”
Hit-and-Run
In addition, this driver left an injured woman and her young child on the roadway and fled the scene on foot. Despicable! Leaving the scene of an injury crash is not only an unconscionable act, but it is also illegal under California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a). I trust authorities will soon apprehend this hit-and-run driver and bring him to justice. If you have any information, please visit our web site at www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and become eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Protecting Victims’ Rights
Victims of hit-and-run car accidents would be well advised to contact an experienced Anaheim personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. A skilled car accident attorney will better advise victims about how their own auto insurance policy might apply to an incident where the hit-and-run driver is never found, or, in a case where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.