Illegally Dumped Oil Causes Fatal San Diego Car Crash; Authorities Offer Reward
San Diego police reported that illegally dumped oil on an Oak Park neighborhood roadway caused Jose Lerma, 36, to lose control of Ford Expedition and collide head-on with a trash truck doing rounds on an Oak Park-area thoroughfare. This happened while Mr. Lerma was exiting eastbound State Route 94 around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.
San Diego PD Sgt. Art Campa reports that the wrecked SUV fishtailed along the offramp and into Federal Boulevard traffic along the 5900 block, crashing into the ECO garbage truck head-on. Authorities closed the freeway exit and nearby onramp to State Route 94's westbound lanes for their investigations and cleanups. Paramedics who arrived on the site took Mr. Lerma to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SanDiego6.com story.
Surveillance video of the area shows that the oil was illegally dumped.
San Diego County authorities are urging anyone with information about this auto accident, and who illegally dumped the oil along the roadway, to come forward immediately and contact San Diego Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Tipsters providing information leading to the arrest of the suspects may be eligible for rewards of up to $1,000.
This is a horribly irresponsible crime and one that should be severely punished. The violators were lazy and cheap and did not want to pay the disposal fee for the proper disposal of their oil. Instead, they chose to dump it on the San Diego roadway turning it into a giant oil slick and causing Jose Lerma's death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. They must be in a great deal of pain and grief. They deserve justice.
If you or someone you know has ever been injured in a San Diego auto accident, please call San Diego auto accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the other San Diego personal injury lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5030. You may also contact these San Diego auto accident attorneys online here.
