California Injury Blog

Published on: October 10, 2008

Highland Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident Kills Teenager

By Brian Chase

April Maher, 17, of Highland, was killed in a pedestrian accident on October 7, 2008 after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver who is still at large. According to this ABC News report, April was walking with friends on Del Rosa Avenue when she was hit from behind by a speeding car. The stretch of Del Rosa Avenue is reportedly one without sidewalks and packed with parked cars, forcing pedestrians to walk on the street.

April Maher was struck and thrown at least 40 feet landing underneath one of the parked cars. April was pronounced dead at a local hospital. San Bernardo County Sheriff’s Department investigators believe the hit-and-run vehicle has front-end damage and could have been a Toyota. Anyone with information about this horrible hit-and-run pedestrian accident is asked to call 909-425-9793.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of April Maher. They have suffered a tragic loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

Clearly, this Highland roadway was dangerous for pedestrians since there were no sidewalks. The cars parked on the sides of Del Rosa Avenue made it impossible for these girls to walk a safe distance away from traffic. I trust that the hit-and-run driver in this case will be apprehended and brought to justice. There is no question whoever this driver is should be held criminally and civilly responsible for this tragic accident.
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Published on: October 9, 2008

Marin County Pedestrian Accident Leaves One Dead

By Brian Chase

William Leo Halstenson, 51, of Kentfield, California, died September 29, 2008 in a pedestrian versus auto accident after he was struck down in a crosswalk. According to an article in the Marin Independent Journal, the 9/29/08 pedestrian accident occurred as Halstenson was crossing Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Ash Avenue near College Avenue.

Halstenson was hit by an eastbound Chevrolet Impala driven by 18-year-old Michael McGhee of Pinole. Halstenson was pronounced dead at the scene. California Highway Patrol officials said Halstenson was walking in the crosswalk and hit because McGhee failed to yield the right of way. Officials determined that McGhee was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal pedestrian accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of William Leo Halstenson for their irreparable loss.
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Published on: October 9, 2008

Calabasas Resident Dies from Nursing Home Abuse

By Brian Chase

Elmore Kittower, 80, died in November 2007 after he was tortured and physically abused by employees at Silverado Senior Living, a Calabasas nursing home, according to this 10/6/08 MSNBC News report. Los Angeles County Sheriff Department detectives have arrested four people, including 20-year-old Cesar Ulloa, who police believe was the leader of a group that routinely abused helpless nursing home residents.

Kittower’s family made the tough decision to place him at Silverado Senior Living after a blood clot in his brain left him unable to live at home. Sheriff’s officials opened up an investigation after they received several anonymous letters and phone calls about the circumstances of Kittower’s death. They exhumed Elmore Kittower’s body and determined that he had suffered “a repeated pattern of physical abuse.”
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Published on: October 8, 2008

Colusa County Charter Bus Accident Driver Arrested For DUI; Had Criminal Record

By Brian Chase

Details of the deadly October 5, 2008 charter bus crash on Lone Star Road east of Williams, California in Colusa County are emerging as the California Highway Patrol accident and criminal investigation continues. The bus was carrying 42 passengers from Sacramento to Colusa Casino Resort, located on Highway 45 three miles north of Colusa when the driver lost control and the bus flipped into the air, cartwheeled and landed in a ditch.

According to the CHP as reported by ABC News, eight people died on 10/5/08 when the bus overturned on its way to the Colusa Casino Resort including six women – Lou Her, 68; Muang Saephanh, 68; Khou Yang, 67; Meuay Saelee, 74; and Fin Saechae, 64, Ma Vang, 60 and two men Xee Vang, 85 and Daniel E. Cobb, 68. All of them are believed to be from Sacramento. Cobb was the owner of the bus.

All of the thirty-five surviving passengers were injured in the Colusa County bus crash, some of them critically. They are all believed to be from the Sacramento area and of Laotian descent. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased accident victims. Please keep them all, including the injured in your prayers.

What is clear is that the 52-year-old driver of the bus from Stockton, Quintin Joey Watts, was not properly licensed to drive the bus, had a felony criminal record, had spent years in prison and was paroled less than a year ago.

Watts is in fair condition in Woodland Memorial Hospital and is under arrest on suspicion of felony driving under the influence. Watts’ criminal record includes convictions for possession of drugs for sale, possession of a firearm, possession of destructive device, check fraud, credit card theft and distributing phoney telecommunication devices. No previous DUI convictions have been uncovered.

The Texas license plates the bus carried were invalid, and no federal Department of Transportation registration number could be found, according to Officer Bob Kays of the CHP’s Williams station. However, a California Public Utilities Commission spokeswomen, Susan Carothers, said the bus had a valid license and insurance coverage. Which is good news for the victims and their families. The CPUC oversees charter transportation companies. Cobb had been registered with the CPUC as a charter operator since 1974, Carothers said.
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Published on: October 8, 2008

Nursing Home Selection Is Still A Significant Challenge

By Brian Chase

The higher incidence of nursing home negligence and abuse cases in Orange County and Los Angeles County is making families nervous about selecting the right nursing home for their loved ones. An October 2, 2008 article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, offers up some good advice on how to choose the right nursing home, especially for families who are faced with the tough decision of transferring their loved ones from one nursing home to another.

So what are some danger signs or red flags you should look for when you go scouting? Well, the horror stories are many. California health inspectors in 2005 who visited Huntington Healthcare Center in Los Angeles found residents wearing soiled clothes, animal droppings near food in the dining area and a patient with an open head wound. While these are the more obvious signs, there are also many subtler signs and symptoms that you should look for.
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Published on: October 7, 2008

Big Rig Safety Equipment May Be Required By Federal Agency

By Brian Chase

Truck drivers may soon be mandated to install alarm systems in their vehicles to make sure that they remain alert while operating their vehicle, according to this KSL-TV news report. Federal investigators have repeatedly found that truck driver fatigue is a leading cause of fatal big rig accidents around the country. Federal officials report that one in eight commercial truck accidents are caused by exhaustion or the truck driver falling asleep at the wheel.

What the federal government is proposing is to require installing a high-tech alarm system that would go off when a driver gets drowsy. Dave Creer of the Utah Trucking Association says such a requirement would make things difficult and more expensive for trucking companies. When the government starts mandating something, he says, things get really tough for trucking companies across the board – whether it’s the little guy, the not-so-little guy or the big companies with the large fleets.

Statistics show that the people most often injured or killed in big rig crashes are the occupants of passenger vehicles not the drivers of the large trucks and 18 wheelers. There are nearly 12,000 injury (fatal and non-fatal) large truck accidents a year in California, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The alarm systems is designed to lower the accident rate and save lives. I see the possible lives saved as well worth the cost.
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Published on: October 7, 2008

Paso Robles Construction Accident Kills Two Workers

By Brian Chase

Jacob Gaines, 24, of Bakersfield and Manuel Villagomez, 38, of Elk Grove died in a Paso Robles construction accident on October 2, 2008 after an excavator hit a water line and submerged both men who were working on a pipeline. According to an article in The Bakersfield Californian, the accident occurred at the intersection of Niblick and South River roads when Gaines and Villagomez were working in a trench.

The San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s officials say that the men most likely drowned; autopsy results are pending. Both Gaines and Villagomez were employees of Teichert Construction, a Sacramento-based company. Work on the pipeline has been suspended as investigators from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health are looking into what caused this tragic 10/2/08 construction accident.
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Published on: October 6, 2008

Colusa County Bus Accident Kills Eight, Critically Injures 35

By Brian Chase

Eight people were killed and at least 35 others were critically injured in a Colusa County, California bus crash yesterday, October 5, 2008, after their charter bus drifted off a rural road near Williams, flipped over and rolled into a ditch. According to a News10 report, the driver of the bus, 52-year-old Quentin Joey Watts of Stockton has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence at the time of the 10/05/08 bus accident.

Eyewitnesses told California Highway Patrol officials that the bus drifted off Lone Star Road and then rolled over several times ejecting passengers into a field. The bus was reportedly carrying passengers north from Sacramento to the Colusa Casino Resort and taking a shortcut along Lone Star Road at about 6:15 the night of 10/5/08 when the tour bus accident occurred.

My heart goes out to all of the people injured on this bus and the families of those who died in this horrible accident. Please keep them in your prayers.

In 2006, there were 331 deaths as a result of bus accidents and 16,044 bus accident related injuries nationwide, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. California accounted for 45 deaths and 1,488 injuries as a result of bus accidents.

I have a bad feeling about the victims’ ability to collect compensation from this driver and his company.
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Published on: October 3, 2008

Pit Bull Owner Sought In Fresno Dog Attack

By Brian Chase

Residents in a Fresno neighborhood are looking for the owner of a vicious dog that mauled two dogs to death and seriously injured two other dogs. According to this Sept. 30 CBS news report, neighbors near First and Ashlan are posting flyers in the area to find the dog owner after the pit bull attacked a small Pomeranian named Petie and then killed a Poodle mix named Buddy.

A neighbor reportedly shot the pit bull in the leg, but it continued its attacks until being captured by Fresno Animal Control officers. Neighbors are offering a $100 reward for information leading to the owner’s identity. The pit bull will likely be euthanized if he is not claimed. Anyone with information is asked to call 559-222-9781.
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Published on: October 2, 2008

Simi Valley Dog Attack Kills 5-Year-Old Girl

By Brian Chase

Katya Teresa Todesco, a 5-year-old Simi Valley girl died in a gruesome dog attack on Sept. 23 when she was playing in a neighbor’s yard and their pit bull attacked her. According to an article in the Ventura County Star, the dog attack occurred in a home on the 1000 block of Appleton Road. Katya was reportedly in a neighbor’s backyard when she physically bumped into the 35-pound pit bull mix.

Katya reportedly suffered severe bites to her face and neck and lost a lot of blood. The dog owner was trying to wrestle the dog off of the little girl, but the pit bull had latched on to Katya and refused to let her go. Officials said the pit bull would most likely be put down.

My heart goes out to the family of this little girl who suffered so much pain and trauma before her death. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Apparently, this is the second time a dog has killed a Ventura County resident, according to local officials. But on the day Katya was attacked, two other pit bull attacks occurred in Simi Valley. One pit bull attacked and killed a dog on Lysander Avenue while another pit bull bit a woman’s legs on Ballard Street. So far, officials are calling Katya’s death a “tragic accident.”
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