California Injury Blog

Published on: February 18, 2009

Woman Injured in Los Angeles County Motorcycle Crash

By Brian Chase

Anna Hernandez, 19, suffered serious injuries in a La Puente motorcycle accident the afternoon of February 15, 2009, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports in this article. The crash occurred when Hernandez, who was riding her motorcycle in the 16100 block of Central Avenue, lost control and struck a pole. She had apparently been riding her motorcycle side by side with another woman.

Roy Fontenette Jr., a former U.S. Marine, who lives across the street from where the motorcycle crash occurred, apparently ran to her aid and tried to keep her calm until emergency personnel arrived. Officials said Hernandez suffered a badly broken leg and several other injuries. Her condition is thankfully not life-threatening.

I’m glad that this motorcycle accident did not turn out worse and that Anna Hernandez did not suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery from her serious injuries. I also commend the Good Samaritan, Roy Fonetenette Jr. for showing tremendous concern and kindness toward a fellow human being. His actions could have very well prevented Hernandez from having a panic attack in the middle of the street. He is a true hero in my book.
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Published on: February 17, 2009

Hit-and-Run Driver Seriously Injures Man in Wheelchair

By Brian Chase

Glendale police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who they say struck and seriously injured a 26-year-old man on an electric wheelchair, the Glendale News Press reports in this article. The man in the wheelchair was crossing New York Avenue just south of Foothill Boulevard the evening of February 13, 2009 when the driver in a white or light-colored Volkswagen, possibly a Jetta, struck him.

Soon after the impact, the man was ejected from his wheelchair and thrown onto the ground. The car then continued to push the wheelchair about 25 feet before fleeing the scene. The impact of the crash apparently broke that wheelchair to several pieces. The man was hospitalized with injuries. If you saw this Glendale hit-and-run accident or have any information about it, please call the Glendale Police Department at 818-548-4840 or Glendale Crime Stoppers at 818-507-7867.

My heart goes out to the young man in the wheelchair who it seems might have suffered critical injuries in this horrific accident. He will be in my prayers and I sincerely hope he makes a quick and complete recovery.

I trust that this hit-and-run driver is apprehended and brought to justice. The details of this incident are just appalling. It is unbelievable to me that someone would strike a wheelchair-bound person, knock them out of their chair and then continue driving as if nothing happened there! This person must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Hit-and-run is a serious criminal offense. California Vehicle Code section 20001 (a) states that a driver must remain at the scene of an accident, exchange information and/or make all attempts possible to render aid to the injured victim. Every motorist in California has this responsibility irrespective of whether the accident was his or her fault.
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Published on: February 16, 2009

Cathedral City Pedestrian Accident Kills Pregnant Woman and her Fetus

By Brian Chase

The pregnant woman, who was killed in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident in Cathedral City the night of February 11, 2009, has been identified as 18-year-old Danica Denton of Desert Hot Springs. According to this news report in The Desert Sun, Denton’s fetus was also killed in the auto accident. Denton was walking across westbound East Palm Canyon Drive at the intersection of Van Fleet in Cathedral City when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Gina Garcia of Palm Springs. Garcia was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young woman who also lost her baby as a result of the fatal injuries she suffered in this accident. I offer my deepest condolences to them. They will be in my prayers.

I trust that Garcia, who fled the scene in this fatal California hit and run pedestrian accident, will now be brought to justice and held accountable for her actions. To strike this pregnant woman and to leave her lying on the street is unacceptable, even if it was done in a moment of panic. Leaving the scene of an accident is a criminal offense under California law.
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Published on: February 14, 2009

Driver Crushed by Forklift in the Port of Long Beach

By Brian Chase

A group of family members and friends held a vigil for Pablo Antonio Garcia, a Long Beach worker and truck driver who was crushed to death January 28, 2009 when a forklift hit his truck in the Port of Long Beach. According to this news report in the Daily Breeze, they held the vigil to demand better working conditions for harbor area drivers. The group urged lawmakers to adopt comprehensive reforms, saying drivers are routinely exposed to life-threatening hazards such as collapsing cranes, wayward forklifts, substandard trucks and heavy pollution.

Investigators say Garcia was killed when he was standing outside his truck and waiting for the delivery of a steel container from another area inside the terminal. Garcia was apparently pinned between two truck chassis when a forklift driver struck his rig. He suffered severe internal injuries and died shortly after the tragic incident. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating this Long Beach on-the-job accident. Long Beach police expect to file charges in connection with this case. Several days before Garcia’s death, another driver, Felipe Curiel, was nearly killed when a container fell on the cab of his truck. He had to be extricated from his crushed rig with the Jaws of Life. Garcia leaves behind a wife and three children.
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Published on: February 13, 2009

Woman Killed in San Diego DUI Pedestrian Accident

By Brian Chase

Emily Cathleen Dowdy, 24, died in a pedestrian accident in Pacific Beach after she was struck by a drunken driver while crossing the street. According to this news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the accident occurred the evening of February 7, 2009 when Dowdy was walking west on Mission Boulevard at Reed Avenue in a marked crosswalk. It was then that 45-year-old Alan Mabrey struck her with his 2004 Dodge Ram pickup.

Mabrey apparently left the scene of the accident, but returned about 30 minutes later and told officers he panicked and went to a Burger King to get something to eat. Both Mabrey and his passenger, the registered owner of the pickup truck, were intoxicated, San Diego police officials say. Officers also found eight empty beer cans and four unopened beer cans in the truck. Mabrey was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and hit-and-run charges. He is also facing gross vehicular manslaughter charges.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Emily Kathleen Dowdy, who was taken away from them so tragically and suddenly. I offer my deepest condolences to everybody who knew and loved her.

According to statistics from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS), a total of 273 fatal auto accidents were reported in San Diego County in 2006. Out of those 101 fatalities were due to alcohol related accidents.
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Published on: February 13, 2009

Man Killed in Oxnard Crosswalk Accident

By Brian Chase

Jose Luis Baxin-Campechano, 28, died in an Oxnard pedestrian accident after a motorist struck him when he was walking in a marked crosswalk, the Ventura County Star reports in this article. Baxin-Campechano was struck the evening of February 7, 2009 by a gray sport utility vehicle. The driver fled the scene, but was later identified as Noberto Carranza Hernandez, 61.

Officials said Baxin-Campechano lay motionless on the roadway when a second driver, 24-year-old Liliana Garcia Camacho, 24, ran over him. She immediately stopped and called authorities. She has not been charged, but Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. Baxin-Campechano was taken to an area hospital where he died from blunt-force injuries.

My heart goes out to the family of Jose Luis Baxin-Campechano for their heartbreaking loss. According to the news report Baxin-Campechano was supporting his wife and three children in Veracruz, Mexico, with money he made from picking strawberries here in Ventura County. Please keep this man’s grieving family in your prayers.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime under California law. A motorist is required to remain at the scene of the accident, exchange information with other parties and if involved in an injury accident, is required to provide any possible assistance to the injured party. This could entail something as basic as calling 911 so that the injured person gets medical attention right away.
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Published on: February 13, 2009

Orange County Pedestrian Accident Kills Elderly Woman

By Brian Chase

Police in Westminster are still trying to identify an elderly woman who they say died in a pedestrian versus auto accident on February 10, 2009. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal Orange County pedestrian accident occurred when the driver of a pickup truck Oscar Guzman, 20, attempted to make a right turn at the intersection of Jackson Street and Westminster Boulevard. Police say Guzman, who was stopped at a red light on the southbound side of Jackson, was looking to his left at oncoming traffic, but did not see the woman stepping out in front crossing the street.

Guzman’s pickup ran over the woman who was taken to a hospital where she died. Guzman is apparently a licensed driver and police say he didn’t seem to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. He was given a toxicology test. Police say they don’t believe he was distracted by the cell phone at the time of the accident either. If you saw this accident or have any further information, please call Westminster Police Officer Al Brackett at 714-898-3315, ext. 333.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family of this elderly woman for their tragic loss. Please keep them in your prayers.
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Published on: February 12, 2009

Fatal Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Caused by Red Light Runner

By Brian Chase

David Golz, 29, of Long Beach died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident the morning of February 8, 2009 after a woman ran a red light at an intersection and crashed into him. Brenda Rossal, 28, also struck Golz’s riding companion, 31-year-old James Culver, who is in the hospital with critical injuries. Rossal was traveling southbound on Cherry Avenue in a 2001 Chevy Tahoe when she ran a red light at the intersection of Cherry and Fourth Street, striking the two motorcycles heading west on Fourth. Our source for this blog was this news article in the Long Beach Press Telegram.

Rossal apparently fled the scene of the accident, but was pursued by witnesses who called police. She was arrested shortly afterward on suspicion of leaving the scene of the accident, running a red light and being an unlicensed driver. Golz was taken to a local hospital where he died. Culver suffered severe head injuries and is listed in critical condition. If you saw or know something more about this tragic accident, please call Long Beach Police Accident Investigations Detectives David Lauro or Sirilo Garcia at 562-570-7355.

My heart goes out to Golz’s family and friends as well as the injured victim, James Culver, who is fighting for his life – all because a negligent driver failed to stop at a red light and obey traffic laws. Please keep Golz’s family in your prayers. I wish Culver the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
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Published on: February 12, 2009

California Nursing Home Fined $100,000 for Patient Negligence

By Brian Chase

A nursing home in Auburn, California, has been slapped with the most severe citation for negligence and inadequate care that apparently led to the death of a patient in 2007, according to the Sacramento Bee news report. Colonial Healthcare, which is owned by Rocklin-based Horizon West Healthcare, must pay a $100,000 fine for failing to properly care for an 83-year-old resident who fell and broke several ribs.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the man died after suffering “excruciating, unrelieved pain” for 21 hours and then being given an excessive dose of narcotic pain medication. This is apparently the third time the state agency has issued an AA citation against this particular facility since 2007.

My heart goes out to the family of this Auburn nursing home patient. Here is a family that entrusted their loved one to the care of a facility that they believed was professionally equipped to provide quality care. Such an incident is a definite breach of that family’s trust. There is no excuse for it. It is disturbing, appalling and despicable that a nursing home would neglect a vulnerable, elderly patient to this extent.
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Published on: February 11, 2009

Orange County Auto Accident Kills Elderly Woman in Wheelchair

By Brian Chase

Kum Lim, 88, died after the motorized wheelchair she was in was struck by a vehicle as she was trying to cross the street. According to an article in The Orange County Register, Lim was driving a Rascal mobility wheelchair on Lampson Avenue near Monarch Street the morning of February 9, 2009 when she tried to cross the street. A passing driver hit Lim’s wheelchair injuring her severely. Lim was taken to an area hospital where she died a few hours after the accident. Garden Grove police are not sure where and how Lim was crossing the street. The driver has not been cited or arrested pending an investigation.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Kum Lim for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this woman. Please keep them in your prayers.

It would be extremely important in this case to find out whether or not Kum Lim was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk or at an intersection. Whether it is a pedestrian or a person on a wheelchair or a bicycle, California law requires motorists to yield right-of-way to those crossing at intersections.
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