California Injury Blog
Jose Luis Carmona, 40, was killed in a Ventura car accident, which officials say, involved a suspected drunk driver, who also left the scene of the crash. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred on Pacific Coast Highway the night of March 5, 2011 near Faria Beach Road. California Highway Patrol officials say Carmona was walking south with his mountain bike when he was struck by a vehicle driven by 43-year-old Shannon Richard.
Hit-and-Run Car Accident
Authorities say Richard drove away from the scene and that a passing motorist saw Carmona lying on the shoulder of the road. He died at the scene. Officials found Richard’s vehicle parked in her home, with damage to the right front side. She was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Jose Luis Carmona for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.
DUI Statistics
According to CHP’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were two fatalities and 63 injuries involving DUI collisions in Ventura. Countywide, alcohol-related crashes claimed 27 lives and injured 475 people during the same year.
Violation of Laws
If the details of this news report are accurate, Richard was not only driving under the influence, but she also struck and fatally injured a man and left him lying on the roadway. Apparently, she told officials she thought she had hit an animal. Appalling! Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal under California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a). A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges, as Richard does in this case.
In addition, Richard fled the scene of a fatal injury car accident. California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”
Victims’ Claim for Compensation
Where negligence or wrongdoing is apparent, the family of a deceased victim would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Ventura personal injury lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and make sure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. Families in such cases could file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. For more information about the dangers of drunk driving, please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) web site at www.madd.org.
Lost a family member in a Ventura County DUI car accident? Want to know your rights? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation? Want justice? Want to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to another family?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a fatal Ventura pedestrian accident. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Ventura wrongful death lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing families of deceased accident victims since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.