A tragic accident on Memorial Day killed four people approximately 20 miles north of Desert Center in Riverside County, California. A witness called in to report the accident at 3:11 p.m. According to an eyewitness who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, a car was traveling southbound on the two-lane Highway 177 when it crossed over the center line, seemingly in an attempt to pass traffic. It then slammed head-on into a big rig truck. Six California Highway Patrol officers and 11 Riverside County Fire Department and Cal Fire/Riverside firefighters were sent to the scene of the Riverside truck accident.
Officers found three individuals dead at the scene. A fourth person was extricated from the car and then airlifted to Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The crash had caused a large cloud of dust and debris to rise into the air and the spilling of diesel fuel all over the road. The eyewitness—Brian Mumey, a retired U.S. Army infantryman—said he treated the driver, who was the only person alive when he arrived. He noted that there was a group of trucks and RVs returning from Memorial Day events pulling boats, and that many cars were trying to pass them, including the car involved in the accident.
California Highway Patrol will be in charge of determining the exact cause of this wrongful death accident. If the family was passing another vehicle unsafely, there may be no claim to be made. However, if the driver of the big rig truck was negligent, perhaps for speeding or for another reason, there will be a viable California wrongful death claim against the insurance for the truck. Typically big rig trucks will carry a commercial liability insurance coverage, so there is more coverage than most individuals have for their personal vehicles.
Our California wrongful death lawyers handle many types of Riverside wrongful death cases, including truck accidents and we are always available for a free consultation. We can be reached at 1-866-465-8792 or by email: info@walchlaw.com.