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Man Killed in Head-On Collision with Suspected Drunk Driver

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:51:26 GMT

A 45-year-old man lost his life in a tragic car accident, Saturday, in a head-on collision involving an alleged drunk driver.

He was traveling east on SR-78 in his 2007 Toyota Tacoma when a 2000 Ford Expedition crossed the double yellow line and smacked into the left front side of his pickup.

The Expedition drifted first onto the right side of the road and then turned left into eastbound traffic, colliding with the truck, California Highway Patrol said. The driver of the Tacoma was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Expedition was transported to the hospital, her injuries are currently unknown. She has been arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.

For more information on this topic, please visit our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Five Dead After Planes Collide in Southern California

Jenny Albano — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:25:06 GMT

On Sunday, January 20, two small planes collided in Southern California killing five people, four from the planes and one bystander on the ground.

The planes crashed at approximately 3:35 PM, about a mile from the Corona Municipal Airport, raining debris all over the car dealership below.

Two people were killed from each plane, and a fifth was killed inside a Chevy dealership hit by wreckage, said Wayne Pollack of the National Transportation Safety Board. "There were bodies falling out of the sky," eyewitness Hector Hernandez told KCBS-TV. "One of them crashed into the top of a Ford Mustang, and another one fell not too far behind that one on the parking lot."

Investigators have been unable to make their way through the debris from one of the planes, so they do not know how many passengers the aircraft was carrying. Pieces of the plane landed all over the parking lot of a car dealership and landed on top of the cars. The debris was mostly contained to a 300 yard perimeter, but some debris was found up to 1,000 yards away.

One of the planes involved in the crash is registered to William A. Reinke. Reinke declined to say who was flying his plane or who was on board.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer did not immediately know where either plane was headed or whether there were any distress calls. The Corona airport does not have a staffed control tower.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Quarrel Between Two Drivers Ends in Accident

Christina Cole — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 07:29:29 GMT

A man suffered serious injury in a car accident on Wednesday after losing control of his car during what police say was a quarrel with another driver.

The 20-year-old man was driving a Chevy north on Interstate 15 when he got into an argument with the driver of a Jeep Cherokee, said police.

Both drivers exited the freeway and drove onto Poway Road heading east. The man in the Chevy flashed his headlights at the Jeep driver and tried to speed up to yell at him. The Jeep driver in turn changed lanes to cut him off, or hit his brakes to abruptly make him stop, police said.

At one point, the man swerved his Chevy sharply, causing it to overturn and roll several times before it ended up in the westbound lanes of Poway Road where it crashed into a Toyota, Tundra.

The Chevy driver suffered a broken clavicle, fractured hand and a head injury. The driver of the Tundra hurt his hand. Police say the driver of the Jeep stayed on at the crash site to speak with officials.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Father, Son Attack Motorist After Car Accident

Christina Cole — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:57:42 GMT

A man and his son allegedly attacked another driver after their vehicles were involved in a car accident on East County Road in Valley Center.

At approximately 6:40pm, Thursday, authorities received a report about an assault with a deadly weapon. When deputies arrived, they found gun shell casings in the car wreckage from the crash, said San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

The father, 49, was arrested for allegedly firing a semi-automatic weapon at the scene. There were no injuries.

Prior to the gunshots, the son attacked the other driver involved in the crash with a metal pipe, sheriff's officials said. The motorist was not injured and declined medical attention.

The son was detained and taken to the hospital for a pre-existing medical problem. The investigation is still ongoing.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Fatal Accident on I-5

Christina Cole — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 02:05:35 GMT

A deadly car accident that occurred on Interstate 5 created a massive traffic jam on Thursday.

Two cars were involved in the crash, which happened around 1 pm on I-5 just north of where the freeway splits.

According to California Highway Patrol, an object flew through the windshield of a silver Nissan xTerra SUV killing the driver. The vehicle passenger grabbed the steering wheel to try and regain control of the vehicle but the SUV crashed into another car.

The CHP said both the driver of that car and the passenger in the SUV suffered minor to moderate injuries. After officers arrived at the scene, they closed the two right lanes of the freeway, and the traffic rapidly backed up in the area.
Officials have not yet released the identity of the driver.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Dummies Make Us Smarter About Accidents

Randy Walton — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:53:47 GMT

Automobile accident reconstructionists from all over California gathered in Anaheim on Tuesday to take part in the California Association of Accident Reconstruction Specialists' fall conference. As part of the conference, crash testing was done with crash test dummies.

Jerry Eubanks, a nationally recognized forensics expert in the reconstruction of automobile accidents, led the testing, and emphasized that every accident is different.

"I've had a case where at 55 mph there were very, very minor injuries. And I've had a case at 25 mph where there was a complete amputation of the lower legs," Eubanks said.
The car hit the 160 pound body at 25mph, knocking it into the air to land on the parking lot pavement 48 feet later. Fortunately the body was that of a crash dummy, and it was hit by a car in the name of science.

Also on hand were police officers from departments all over the state.

"We want to gather some data for these types of accidents," said Deputy Paul Wade of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Wade said the tests provided valuable data which will help police, insurance and private investigators know what physical evidence to look for in determining what happens in these types of accidents.
"We know a lot about these all ready, but very infrequently do we have time or the means in which we can actually do crash testing," Wade said.

After examining and collecting the physical evidence, mathematical equations developed from the tests can help investigators determine how an accident happened and frequently its cause.

The tests were conducted at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Walton

CHP Believes Alcohol was Involved in Fatal Car Crash

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:04:42 GMT

A fiery car crash yesterday morning on Interstate 8 claimed the life of one passenger and officials believe alcohol was a factor.

The driver of a 2000 Ford Taurus was driving recklessly just after midnight, trying to pass another vehicle by driving in the center line. He lost control of the vehicle when the tires hit the dirt causing him to swerve across the highway striking a BMW, according to California Highway Patrol.

The impact of the crash sent the Taurus down an embankment and into the backyard of a home, before catching on fire.

The passenger, who was killed in the crash, was a 25-year-old man, of Katy, Texas, according to the Medical Examiner.

The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to a hospital and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.
No one in the BMW was injured.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

San Diego Auto Accident Injures Eight

Randy Walton — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:41:39 GMT

The North County Times reported that two children and a pregnant woman were among 11 people sent to area hospitals September 8, 2007 after a five-car accident up in a Vista intersection, according to officials. A toddler and a 6-year-old child suffered multiple traumatic injuries and were flown to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, officials said. The pregnant woman, who officials said suffered a broken arm, was one of several adults taken to local hospitals via ambulances from Vista, Oceanside and Carlsbad.

Authorities had no information about the cause of the accident, which occurred at about 11 a.m. at the intersection of North Melrose Drive and Copper Drive, near Highway 78.

Legal claims arising from multi-car and multi-injury accidents can be especially complex, because fault is often vigourously disputed and there are ususally several insurance policies in play. When involved in such an accident, it is imperative to document the events as close in time to the accident as possible, including taking photographs and obtaining witness statements. When insurance companies start pointing fingers, it's helpful to have the exculpatory evidence already in hand.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Walton

Man Killed when Car Lands in Slough

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:53:23 GMT

A 24-year-old man was found dead in his vehicle on Monday morning, after a passerby reported seeing a vehicle in the water off the side of the roadway on State Route 4, west of Tracy Boulevard.

The man, whose identity was not released due to pending family notification, was found in his 1998 Chrysler Sebring, which was overturned in Trapper Slough, California Highway Patrol reports. The man did have his seatbelt on at the time of the car crash.

Authorities are unsure when the accident occurred or how fast the vehicle was traveling at the time of the crash. But they have concluded that the car veered into the eastbound lane before the driver overcorrected and lost control of the vehicle.

The vehicle overturned off the roadway's north side and into the water, coming to rest on the roof. The accident is still under investigation and it is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Man Killed in Highway Accident

Christina Cole — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 07:54:31 GMT

A man was killed in a truck accident when his pickup crashed through a guardrail on the San Diego Freeway in Long Beach. His truck went over the side and slammed into a tree, said authorities.

The crash happened at Santa Fe Avenue at approximately 10:30 Monday evening, said a California Highway Patrol Officer.

The vehicle hit a guard rail and flew off the side of the freeway into ice plants before he plunged head-on into a tree. The driver was ejected from the vehicle said a Long Beach Fire Department spokesman.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 12:21, his name has not been immediately release.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole