Car Accidents

Don’t Text and Drive in 2019!

February 4, 2019 | by Robert Walch

2018 marked the 10-year anniversary of the enactment of hands-free cell phone and no-texting laws in California. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) this milestone showed a decrease in the number of citations issued for distracted driving and a decrease in the number of collisions caused by distracted driving. However, even with this decrease, the problem of cell-phone use and texting while driving still persists.

Texting While Driving is Distracted Driving

Texting while driving falls under the umbrella of “Distracted Driving.” There are many ways a driver can be distracted while driving—anything from eating or looking down to change the music station to looking at a passenger can dangerously take a driver’s attention from the road. However, cell phones continue to be a top cause of distracted driving accidents.

Storms Bring Snow to California Mountains – Tips for Driving in Snow

January 29, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Over the past few weeks the Southern California mountains have been hit by several winter storms. According to CBS 8, “The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory above 5,000 feet for the San Diego mountains.” While this is good news for ski resorts, the advisory states that drivers should expect slick road conditions.

From Mount Laguna to the San Bernardino and Riverside County mountains, the latest storms have brought 4-12 inches of snow. With all this snow, the National Weather Service is concerned about the impact it could have on Interstate 5. While traveling to the snow can be fun for recreational activities, it can be particularly dangerous for drivers, especially if you are unprepared. Because snow isn’t a typical part of Southern California life, if you plan to travel to or through snowy areas, make sure to use caution to avoid a Southern California car accident.

Although driving in snow can be dangerous, there are certain tips you can follow to stay safer even in icy and snowy conditions. To avoid a snow-related car collision be sure to:

1 Seriously Injured in Los Angeles Multi-car and Big Rig Crash

January 28, 2019 | by Robert Walch

A multi-vehicle car crash that involved a large Big Rig truck, left each of the driver’s with minor injuries, and one driver in critical condition. The crash occurred on Olympic Boulevard in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. From the photos of the incident, provided by ABC 7 News, the Big Rig over turned blocking the entire street. The photos show the truck completely on its side with two cars smashed into the trailer and one other car hit by the front of the truck.

Two of the people involved in the accident were trapped inside their cars. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene and set to work extracting the victims. One of the extracted victims was in critical condition and was rushed to a nearby hospital. The other drivers were evaluated at the scene for minor injuries.

As of right now, no other information about the crash has been released. Investigators are looking into what caused the crash and what, specifically, caused the semi-truck to tip completely on its side.

Los Angeles Rainfall Causes Unsafe Conditions and Accidents Rain Forecasted to End!

January 17, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Los Angeles and Southern California have been hit by early January storms, causing many serious car and truck accidents, as well as significant rainfall and flooding. Downtown Los Angeles has sustained almost five (5) inches of rainfall, as per the report of 5:47pm, January 17, 2019, of the National Weather Service. See Los Angeles Almanac.

If you were involved in a car or truck accident in the rain, here are a few things to do: be sure to call 911 if you were injured or need other emergency assistance, and before moving any of the vehicles try to take detailed photos of all vehicles, their damage and the scene of the collision. Also, get all identifying information, including take photos of the other party’s driver’s license, insurance cards and vehicle license plates.

If you were not at fault, it’s wise to call the police and wait until they arrive (which, unfortunately, may take even longer when it’s raining) to get a written police report, usually called a “traffic collision report”, to help prove you were not at fault. If you were not at fault, we cannot emphasize enough how important and helpful a favorable police report can be to winning your case and also proving to your own insurance company that you were not at fault so your insurance rates will not go up!

Heavy Rain Makes for Dangerous Commutes & Causes Deadly Camarillo Accident

January 14, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Recently, heavy rain in Southern California has made for extremely dangerous driving conditions. The heavy rains have decreased visibility on already busy roads, which has led to several car accidents through Ventura County and its surrounding counties. The rain has been particularly problematic during commuting hours and CHP reported “there have been a lot of crashes [and] people hitting the guardrails.” Several drivers have reported losing control of their vehicles because of the slick roads.

One particular accident near Camarillo resulted in a deadly head-on collision. According to the Ventura County Star, a 65-year-old man from Oxnard driving a Nissan pickup lost control of his vehicle while traveling westbound. The car crossed into oncoming traffic, “for reasons that are still being investigated” and hit a Ford F-250 pickup driven by a 27-year-old man from Oxnard.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene of the accident and the Nissan driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ford F-250 driver was taken to the St. John’s Pleasant Valley hospital for his injuries suffered in the collision.

Driver and Passenger Killed After Car Collides into Hyde Park Building

December 30, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A driver of a black Lincoln and his female passenger were killed in a Hyde Park car accident December 16, 2018. According to KTLA News, around 9:00 in the morning, the car left the road just east of Crenshaw Boulevard, and smashed into an abandoned building.

The male driver was partially ejected from the car as a result of the impact. The female passenger was fully ejected from the car, and both were pronounced dead at the scene. Because of the collapse of the structure onto the car, police believe it will “require an extended extrication to recover the bodies due to safety concerns with building collapse.”

As of right now, the cause of the accident remains unknown. Police said speeding is very common on the street but are not certain that is was caused this crash. In a crash like this, that involves no other vehicles, there are many possible causes for the police to consider such as driving while intoxicated (either alcohol or drugs), driving while texting, or even drowsy driving. It is very important that a thorough investigation is conducted to determine the cause of the accident.

One Killed in Perris Freeway Accident

December 3, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A recent Perris car accident resulted in the death of 54-year-old William Shelton of Lemon Grove and left another motorist with minor injuries. The Press-Enterprise reported that three vehicles were involved in the accident which occurred on the Southbound side of the freeway around 7:20 p.m.

The accident caused one of the cars involved, a dark-colored sedan, to flip over and cross into the northbound side of the 215 freeway. Though it is not clear which car was driven by Mr. Shelton, it was reported he died at the scene. The accident closed two lanes on the southbound side of the 215 freeway for several hours causing heavy traffic on the freeway, as well as the Ramona Expressway as cars tried to exit.

California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating what caused this freeway crash. There are many possible causes for freeway accidents, especially on the busy Southern California freeways. Causes can include natural things such as rain or fog which cause poor visibility that can lead to accidents, or intentional things such careless choices by a driver to drive while intoxicated, texting, or while drowsy. When a car accident involves more than one car, like in this case, it is possible that one or more drivers could be at fault.

Suspects Evading Police Injure Four in Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Crash

November 10, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A car chase in South Los Angeles of several suspects evading the police, resulted in a car collision at the 1300 block of W. 59th Place. The four people riding in the vehicle that was hit, a Mazda SUV, included a mother and three children and all were injured in the crash.

According to ABC 7 News, the chase started when LAPD officers pulled over a vehicle after a traffic violation. One passenger, who was carrying a gun, jumped out of the vehicle and ran. He was picked up by another vehicle that then sped off. Police gave suit, and as the second car sped away, it hit into the Mazda. The car then continued driving without stopping to render aid or identify him/herself at the scene of the crash, which is a crime in California.

Shortly after the crash, police were able to catch and apprehend three people involved in the incident, including the original passenger carrying the gun. The injured family was transported to the hospital for treatment, though the injuries are thankfully believed to be non-life-threatening. While the individuals that caused this accident will likely be facing criminal charges, they are also civilly liable to the victims they injured as a result of their choice to flee from the police and drive recklessly.

Placentia Car Accident Sends 2 Cars into Goodwill Store, Injuring 6

October 26, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A multiple vehicle accident at a Placentia strip mall left at least 6 people injured, including one shopper and five people who were inside the vehicles involved. The accident occurred when two vehicles collided and crashed into a Goodwill store.

According to ABC 7 News, police believe the two vehicles initially collided in the parking lot in front of the store. The force of the collision then sent the vehicles slamming through the wall of the store. Video of the scene showed a tan SUV entirely in the store, and a white SUV with the front end inside the store.

An 88-year-old female driver of one vehicle involved in the incident was taken to a local hospital for her injuries. Police stated that all other victims involved in this multi-car accident suffered only minor injuries.

Limo Crash Kills 20 People

October 19, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A supersized limousine crashed in upstate New York this week, killing the 18 people inside, as well as 2 pedestrians. The limo was headed to a brewery for a 30^th birthday party for one of the passengers. According to the Los Angeles Times, the limo “ran a stop sign at a T-shaped intersection at the bottom of a hill and slammed into an unoccupied SUV.”

Investigators have yet to determine the exact cause of the accident. The crash left no visible skid marks on the road, which may mean the driver failed to brake. Investigators have uncovered several other negative details about the incident. As it turns out, the limousine had failed a safety inspection last month and the driver was not properly licensed.

Large-limo wrecks are typically uncommon. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were only “12 [limo crashes] nationwide between 2012 and 2016, compared with over 157,000 crashes involving all types of vehicles during that period.” However, crashes involving limos are often more severe. The state of California has not been immune to limo crashes. For example, in 2013 five women celebrating a bachelorette party were killed when their stretch limo caught on fire in Northern California.