San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A San Diego lawsuit was filed by the surviving family members of California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and his family against automaker giant Toyota following the infamous car accident which took their lives. The Toyota 2009 Lexus ES- 350 provided to Officer Saylor by Bob Baker Lexus while Officer Saylor’s vehicle’s was being repaired had started unexpectedly and uncontrollably accelerating. The Lexus raced across San Diego’s freeways and roads before finally crashing and bursting into flames in Santee.

The lawsuit accuses Toyota of manufacturing and distributing a dangerous product along with Bob Baker Lexus, the El Cajon based car dealership who loaned the sedan, for negligence. The surviving relatives are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Up to today, 58 people have been killed in the cases involving a Toyota vehicle with acceleration malfunctioning. While even one injury or lost life due to unexpected and uncontrollable acceleration is too many, these deaths are completely inexcusable. One would expect that the gas pedal or brake pedal in your car would work properly at all times. These are the controls that manage the speed of the vehicle itself. For the car to speed away without the guidance of the driver is a scary thought and can certainly cause severe injury and death.

Continue reading "San Diego, CA Family Sues Toyota for Fatal Car Crash" »

Two U.S. Border Patrol agents suffered minor injuries in a San Diego auto accident accident on March 7, 2010, when they were sideswiped by another car near Harris Ranch Road on State Route 94 (SR-94). The car crash took place around 7:20 pm.

The driver who hit the Border Patrol officers took off after the collision but was quickly tracked down at her home. She claims that she did not realize she had hit their patrol vehicle until the investigators contacted her. She also claims that she heard what sounded like a gunshot when she struck the deputies. The driver had her driver’s license for less than 30 days when the accident occurred

We are thankful that nothing serious took place. At the same time we feel that those people who have just learned to drive should be more careful while on the road, not just for their safety but for other’s as well. Also, it is very difficult if not impossible to believe her story about how the collision occurred. Drivers feel when their vehicles strike another object with enough force to cause injury. That was most certainly the case here. She was most likely trying to escape responsibility.

Continue reading "San Diego Swideswipe Car Accident Injures Border Patrol Officers" »

Branden Butler, the 17-year old teenager serving 547 days of service in the Juvenile Hall in Vista, spoke to Rancho Buena Vista High School students in a Vista courtroom on March 5, 2010. On October 4, 2009 Butler rammed his car into a wooden fence on La Granada Road, killing his Torrey Pines High School classmate and friend, Alex Capozza (pictured below).

Butler was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the auto accident. After partying in Rancho Santa Fe, he had gone out with friends to get some food when the fatal car accident took place.

This is the first time that Butler has spoken publicly about what happened and he did so as part of the San Diego Superior Court’s Court Day which featured talks by lawyers and judges about what the Court does on a day-to-day basis. It also featured mock trials and, in the case of Butler, speeches by convicted criminals about the impact their crime has had on their life.

While there is no excuse for Butler’s actions—and drunk driving is completely inexcusable—Butler should be commended for speaking with these students. The source article for this post was not clear whether his presence was court ordered. However, it seems from the subject of his talk and the words that he communicated that his poor choice to drive while intoxicated has caused him a tremendous amount of grief and remorse. He was very remorseful about the loss of his friend and the impact Alex’s death has had on the Capozza family. Unfortunately, it is often only after a fatal auto accident, that people reflect and acknowledge that they made a poor and dangerous choice. If only it could be the other way around.

Continue reading "Convicted Teenage Drunk Driver Speaks to Students about Fatal Rancho Santa Fe Car Accident" »

A 27-year old Torrance man was arrested on March 4, 2010 in connection with a fatal Los Angeles traffic accident that took place on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) near the Crenshaw Boulevard off-ramp. The accident had taken place at around 2:24 am.

Baek was driving southbound on the freeway when he rear-ended a van at a high rate of speed. The driver of the van lost control, veered across two lanes of traffic and struck a third vehicle driving in the slow lane of the freeway. The van left the freeway and went down a steep embankment. Baek was booked on a count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of driving while intoxicated causing injury or death.
Our office wishes to offer our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We once again urge all drivers to be more careful while attempting to switch lanes. Try not to exceed the speed limits. And never, ever, drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you witness motorist driving erratically, try to avoid them as much as possible. They may be driving while intoxicated.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Auto Accident Leaves Driver Dead" »

An 87-year old man lost his life in a tragic San Diego auto wreck that occurred on March 2, 2010. The victim was driving his Toyota Camry when it crashed into a parked truck just south of Ocean View Boulevard. This car accident took place at around 11:35 am.

The deceased, David Epstein, was heading north on the Interstate 15 (I-15) in the Mountain View area of San Diego when his Toyota sedan veered to the right for unexplained reasons and collided with the parked big-rig truck. Epstein died on the spot.

Given the recent reports of braking system failure issues, unexpected acceleration, and other technical malfunctions in Toyota manufactured cars, this tragic accident might have been caused by one of these defects. We wish to express our condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Epstein. At the same time we urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to arrive at the precise reasons of the car crash.

Continue reading "San Diego Auto Accident Kills Toyota Driver" »

A San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy lost his life after he crashed his cruiser into a bridge embankment while pursuing an alleged drunk driver going the wrong way on a freeway. The car accident occurred in the early hours of February 28, 2010. The deceased, Deputy Ken Collier, 39, died at a hospital shortly after the accident near Santee. The suspect Jose Jasso Lopez, 22, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

Collier was driving westbound on State Route 52 (SR-52) when he spotted a car heading toward him on the same side of the highway. He made a quick u-turn to pursue the car, turning into an auxiliary lane in the highway median, but then struck a bridge abutment between Mast Boulevard and Santo Road near Mission Trails Regional Park in northeastern San Diego County.

Our office wishes to express our sincere prayers for the family and loved ones of Deputy Ken Collier. It is sad that we lost such a competent officer who was looking out for the safety of others. There are few things more dangerous on San Diego’s highways and streets than a drunk driver—unless, of course, if it is a drunk driver heading the wrong way on a freeway. The damage that Mr. Lopez could have caused had he crashed into another vehicle or vehicles is unimaginable. Not only could he have killed himself, but he would likely have killed anyone he ran into. Deputy Collier understood this and decided to chase Mr. Lopez to prevent this tragedy. Unfortunately, he lost his life doing so. We hope that the San Diego District Attorneys’ Office prosecutes Mr. Lopez to the fullest extent of the law.

Continue reading "San Diego County Deputy Dies in Fatal San Diego Car Crash" »

A 17-year old boy was finally arrested for causing a fatal Riverside car crash on January 16, 2010 that had resulted in the death of the female driver of a Ford Explorer. The auto accident took place on Cottonwood Avenue at Festival Way in Moreno Valley when the victim, Cynthia Rene Whitaker, 54, of Moreno Valley, had swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a Honda Civic. By doing so, she hit a Nissan Quest.

The Civic in question was being driven by the 17-year old boy who had stolen it in Desert Hot Springs. He also admitted to being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the car crash. The Moreno Valley Police has charged him with vehicular manslaughter, two counts of hit-and-run, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Our office wishes to highlight the severity of this case! Not only did the teenager steal the car, but was also drunk which might have played a huge part in the death of Ms. Whitaker. Such behavior from anyone, especially from a juvenile, is very disheartening and despicable. We hope that the Riverside County District Attorney prosecutes this teenager as an adult and to the fullest extent of the law. We also hope that Ms. Whitaker’s family receives whatever care, assistance, and compensation they need and deserve.

Continue reading "Juvenile Admits To Causing Fatal Riverside County Car Accident" »

A 49-year old North County man lost his life in a San Diego car crash that took place on February 21, 2010. This fatal accident occurred at about 2:40 p.m. on a curving stretch of State Route 67 (SR-67) north of Lakeside.

The victim, Randy Fredrick Evans, was northbound on SR-67 near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road when he lost control of his SUV, causing it to skid across the pavement and overturn. Evans faced head injuries and died on the spot of accident according to the California Highway Patrol and San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Randy Fredrick Evans. We understand how difficult it is to come to terms with such tragedy. The accident happened on a dangerous stretch of highway—SR-67 is the most dangerous road in San Diego—that ascends into foothills near a quarry south of Poway. We once again urge drivers to drive with extreme caution in such terrain. A little bit of vigilance from your side can save your own life!

On the other hand, the cause of the accident could very well be “oversteer” leading to the SUV flipping and rolling over. Oversteer is a common problem when drivers lose control in one direction and over-correct and oversteer in the other direction. The act of oversteering and the the SUV’s high profile leads to the SUV rolling over onto its’ roof, crushing it, and commonly leading to severe head trauma and major brain injury.

Continue reading "San Diego Auto Accident Leaves Man Dead" »

A 20-year old Escondido woman lost her life in a Los Angeles County car accident that occurred at 3:15 a.m. in the Antelope Valley area of northern Los Angeles County on February 21, 2010. The victim, Michelle Garcia, was a passenger in a Lexus which veered off road and overturned. The driver of the car, George M. Reyes of Escondido, was arrested for causing the auto accident.

Reyes was driving his 2006 Lexus eastbound on Avenue S when his car drifted over onto the right shoulder. Although he veered back to the left, he lost control of his car which then crossed the median and rolled over. The car then slid across the westbound lanes until it came to rest on its roof. Garcia got ejected from the car because she was not wearing a seat belt. Shedied at the scene. Reyes suffered minor injuries and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.

Our heart goes out to the family and friends of Michelle Garcia. We understand how tragic it is to lose someone you love so dearly. At the same time we wish to highlight the issue of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not adhering to the rules of safe driving. Always make it a point to wear your seat belt as soon as you sit in a car and never get into a car with a driver who has been drinking.

Continue reading "Young Escondido Woman Loses Life in LA County Rollover Car Accident" »

A 40-year old man lost his life in an Orange County truck accident that took place on February 20, 2010, in Fountain Valley. The deceased was a passenger in a Toyota Tacoma and was travelling south on Bushard Street when the Toyota pickup was struck by a Ford Ranger that was eastbound on Heil Avenue. This accident happened at 8:22am.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The drivers of the two pickups suffered minor injuries.

Our office wishes to convey our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the victim. The loss must be devastating. We repeatedly urge all Californians to be careful while on the road and ensure that you are driving responsibly--not just for your sake but for others as well! It is unclear from the Orange County Register news story whether one of the vehicles ran a red light or stop sign. However, that seems like a very safe conclusion since both trucks cannot legally be in the intersection at the same time. Entering an intersection against a red stop light is a violation of California Vehicle Code section 21453(c) which states that it is illegal for a motor vehicle to enter an intersection or proceed through the intersection against a red traffic signal.

Continue reading "Orange County Truck Accident Leaves Man Dead" »

A 55-year old woman was killed in a San Diego rollover car accident that occurred on February 23, 2010, when her sport utility vehicle was clipped by a taxi and rolled over on Interstate 5 (I-5) near the Golden Hill and East Village areas of San Diego. This fatal auto accident took place around 7:45 a.m.

The cab driver, 47-year old Andai Ogbagebri of San Diego, was changing lanes when his southbound 2006 Ford Crown Victoria hit the rear end of the 2000 Chevrolet Blazer being driven by the victim, Phyllis Lorraine Kirk, 65, of San Diego. The traffic collision made the SUV skid out of control and flip over until it came to rest upside down. Kirk died at the scene. Ogbagebri was uninjured.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Kirk. We know how shattering it is to lose a loved one this way and more so when it is not their fault. It is important to remember that, when changing lanes, drivers must first make sure that it is safe to change lanes before doing so. An unsafe lane change is a violation of California Vehicle Code section 21658(a) which states: “A vehicle…shall not be moved from the lane until such movement can be made with reasonable safety.”

Continue reading "Woman Dies in a Fatal San Diego Rollover Car Accident " »

On Friday, we wrote about a tragic San Diego hit and run auto accident in San Diego in which Alejandra Vazquez, a 35-year old woman, lost her life when a SUV crashed into her as she was crossing the street, leaving her dead on the scene. The guilty driver was said to be driving a metallic blue, older model foreign station wagon with a missing piece of the right front bumper, which had come apart after the accident.

The San Diego Police arrested a man the very next day, on February 20, 2010, as the one suspected to be responsible for Ms. Vazquez’s death. The man, Bruce Hanson, 51, was arrested at his Encanto home on Republic Street, about 2.5 miles from the hit-and-run accident scene, and has been booked on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run. Hanson had left his blue Subaru Forester, with no license plate, at a wrecking yard on Otay Mesa with the keys on the dashboard and blood at the impact point which was seen and reported by a worker of the yard. A forensic evidence technician later determined the Forester as the suspect vehicle.

We are very happy that, through publicity of this horrible and tragic accident and good work by the San Diego Police Department, that this suspect has been caught. However, the fact that the suspect has been caught will not bring any solace or comfort to Ms. Vazquez's family and friends, especially her mother who saw her daughter be killed. Hit and run accidents are absolutely despicable and we hope that the suspect is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a San Diego auto wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

A 35-year old San Diego woman lost her life in a San Diego hit and run car accident that occurred in the early morning hours on February 19, 2010, in the Chollas View neighborhood of the City. This fatal accident took place around 2:15 a.m. near the Interstate 805 (I-805) ramps at Market Street where the victim, Alejandra Vazquez, had parked her car to get to Moody's Lunch Service on Euclid Avenue, where she worked.

Vazquez had just gotten out her car when a blue colored SUV, heading eastbound on Market Street, smashed into her. The impact threw her across some parked vehicles before she fell beneath the back end of a pickup. Vazquez suffered severe abdominal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect fled the scene but eyewitnesses reported that the driver was a man in his 50s with white or grey curly hair driving a metallic blue older model foreign station wagon with a missing piece of the right front bumper.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Alejandra Vazquez. Though we know that no amount of good wishes will ease the pain for her family and loved ones, we only hope that the guilty hit and run driver is put behind bars. There are few crimes that enrage our office more than hit and run car accidents. If you are careless enough to hit another vehicle or strike a pedestrian with your car, for God’s sakes, STOP!!! We all have a responsibility to others on the road and if we have potentially injured a person in an accident, we need to stop and help them get any assistance they need. We hope that the driver who killed Ms. Vazquez is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a San Diego auto accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

A 29-year old woman from Laguna Hills was killed in a fatal Orange County car accident on February 17, 2010 when the Corvette she was driving crashed into a tree on Mill Creek Drive just south of Lake Forest Drive in Lake Forest. The accident took place at around 8:15 a.m.

The deceased, Amy Thomas, was taking a prospective buyer out for a test-drive when she lost control of the gray 2003 Corvette near 23016 Mill Creek Dr. in Laguna Hills. The car skidded sideways, its driver's side door slamming into a tree. The car then apparently spun around before banging into another tree 20 feet onward. Afterward, the driver's side door of the Corvette was dangling from a hinge, the windshield was shattered, the roof bulged upward and the front end showed damage. The passenger of the car was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for cuts and chest pain.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Amy Thomas. It is unclear why this car accident occurred, but it sounds like a truly tragic and horrific crash. It would be interesting to determine whether this accident was caused by any mechanical defect or malfunction. There does not appear to be any reason why Ms. Thomas, a Corvette salesperson, would be racing or driving recklessly in the vehicle.

Ross Jurewitz is an Orange County car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in an Orange County auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following an Orange County personal injury accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 24-year old Garden Grove resident was killed in an Orange County car accident on February 12, 2010, as he lost control of the 2004 4-door Nissan Altima he was driving. The accident took place around 1:30 am as he struck the curb at the Alton and East Yale intersection and then collided with a group of trees at the southeast corner. Apparently, he was speeding at speeds in excess of 80 mph and had run a red light near the Alton Parkway and Harvard Avenue intersection seconds before he met up with the accident.

Reportedly, the 2004, 4-door Nissan Altima was stolen from a nightclub's parking lot in Newport Beach.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. While the driver likely stole the Altima and was breaking the law, nobody deserves to lose their life.

Ross Jurewitz is an Orange County auto accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in an Orange County car crash, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following an Orange County personal injury accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 20-year old Santa Ana resident was killed in an Orange County auto accident that took place on February 14, 2010, sometime before 2:30 a.m. The victim, Cara Lee, a passenger in a 2008 gold Toyota Corolla, was headed west on Sunflower Avenue in Costa Mesa when the Corolla was hit by a 2008 white Toyota Tundra. The driver of the Corolla, Hao A. Nguyen, 21, of Santa Ana, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana for treatment of minor abrasions and was later arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The Tundra driver, Gustavo A. Vega, 22, of Costa Mesa, was treated for minor abrasions at the scene and arrested on suspicion of murder, vehicular manslaughter, felony DUI, felony injury hit-and-run and possession of a controlled substance. Vega had earlier been involved in a non-injury accident in Santa Ana and also faces additional charges from this traffic collision.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Cara Lee.

Ross Jurewitz is an Orange County auto accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in an Orange County car accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following an Orange County injury accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

Four people, including two small children, were killed in a six-vehicle pileup that took place on the interstate leading to San Diego County. This tragic accident occurred on February 13, 2009, during the afternoon hours, on Interstate 15 (I-15) Freeway that connects San Diego County with San Bernardino County.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Briggs, the four victims were in a car that was found sandwiched between two tractor-trailers in Ontario, CA. The two adults and two children were killed at the end of a long chain-reaction of car crashes. Though there was no immediate word on a cause, the car in which the victims were traveling is reported to have caught fire. The victims, whose names had not been released till late Saturday, were all declared dead on the scene.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We understand how tragic it is to lose a loved one, and especially children!

Ross Jurewitz is an Ontario auto accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Interstate 15 auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a San Bernardino car accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 75-year old Murrieta man lost his life in a Riverside County auto accident as the vehicle he was driving crashed into a center median of the road along the 41000 block of California Oaks Road in Murrieta. This fatal car accident took place on February 7, 2010, around 6:30 a.m.

The deceased, Eugene Farinas, was driving his SUV when he veered off the road and crashed into the median. He was taken to the Inland Valley Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries within an hour. An autopsy has been ordered to probe into the cause of death, said Riverside County Coroner's officials.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Eugene Farinas. It has to be said that driving in old age is potentially very dangerous, not only for the elderly driver but also for fellow drivers and pedestrians. Another car accident was also reported a week ago in which a 92-year-old man killed a teenage Vista boy in a hit and run auto accident. Thought has to be given to the danger posed by senior citizens driving when they perhaps should not.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside auto accident attorney and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Riverside car accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a California injury accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

The autopsy of a 27-year old San Diego woman who was struck by multiple vehicles while standing on Interstate 805 in National City is scheduled for today. This very tragic auto accident took place around 12:30 a.m. on Northbound I-805 on February 7, 2010.

The victim, whose name has been withheld pending family notification, is believed to have gotten out of her SUV when she was struck by multiple vehicles, one after the other, on this very busy freeway. She died on the spot. Her car was found on the shoulder of the highway. No immediate reason could be found out regarding why she was standing in the middle of the traffic lane.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the victim. To lose someone in such a brutal way is very tragic. It goes without saying how crucial it is to be careful while attempting to cross the road on a busy route, especially at night. One can never be too careful, so do all that you can to prevent yourself and your loved ones from such tragedy.

Ross Jurewitz is a National City auto accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego personal injury law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a National City car accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a personal injury accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 21-year old Greenport resident lost his life in a Riverside auto accident as his car was hit by a transit bus. This fatal car vs. bus accident took place at an intersection in Riverside on February 3, 2010 around 7:40 a.m. The deceased, Michael Brown, was driving a 2000 Ford Focus along CR 63 when he was hit by a Suffolk transit bus moving along CR 51.

According to Southampton Police reports, Brown passed a stop sign and continued into the moving traffic, when his Ford was hit broadside by the northward bound transit bus. Michael Brown was transported to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office after being pronounced dead at the scene. The bus passengers and the driver suffered minor injuries.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Michael Brown. Michael, a recent graduate of Greenport High School was much loved in the community. It is so disheartening to note that so many young adults are losing their lives in auto accidents in Riverside County. We urge all residents of the area to be more cautious when they step onto the roads and adhere to all traffic rules and safety norms.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside County auto accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, CA law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Riverside car accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a car wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A man suspected of killing a Banning pedestrian in a Riverside County hit and run auto accident was located, detained, and interviewed at the Banning Police Department on February 2, 2010. This fatal Riverside pedestrian accident took place in front of 4500 Ramsey Street in Banning, on January 30, 2010, resulting in the death of 17-year old Cody Rodenbucher.

The suspect, 28-year old Sachin Bhakta from Banning, was taken into custody at the Holiday Inn Express on Ramsey Street after Banning police conducted a sweep of the hotel with the help of the Riverside County Sheriff's Bloodhound team. The police were able to apprehend him as a nearby surveillance camera had caught images of his car as it went east on Ramsey Street after striking Rodenbucher.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Cody Rodenbucher. It is so disheartening to note that so many teenagers are losing their lives in hit and run car accidents in Riverside County. We urge all residents of the area to be more cautious when they step onto the roads, be it on foot or in a car.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside County personal injury lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, CA law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Riverside County auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a car wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's California personal injury book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

The body of a little girl, faced down in the mud, was found in the Tijuana River Valley around 10.a.m. on Sunday, January 31,2010. It was spotted near a park at the west end of Monument Road in San Diego County.

The body, spotted by Pio Cruz--a volunteer with the Desert Angels--might belong to the 5- year old girl who was swept away in a San Diego County auto accident near the Tijuana River’s raging waters on January 20, 2010. The car accident led to the death of a mother and her eldest daughter, while two young children--a 2-year old son and 5-year old daughter--went missing. The body found by Cruz is believed to be the missing girl.

Last Wednesday, another body had been found which was believed to be of the 2-year old boy. But Lt. Margaret San Filippo with the San Diego Sheriff's Department commented that everything will be confirmed after DNA testing. The body is thought to have been swept away from the Tijuana side of the border though large tubes, big enough for a person to walk through.
We all had prayed for the safe return of the children. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Our office wishes to convey our condolences near to the family of the victims. This tragedy that has befallen the husband/father of this family cannot be expressed in words. It is just too great.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, CA personal injury law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a San Diego auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a car wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 28-year-old San Diego man was killed in a fatal San Diego County motorcycle accident on State Route 78 just east of Pine Hills Road in Julian. The deceased, identified as Carl Davis Jr., was riding a 2007 CVR 600 motorcycle when he was hit in a head-on collision. He died at the scene.

This serious traffic accident happened on Saturday, January 30, 2010 around 12:30 p.m. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings, Carl was eastbound on Pine Hills road when he suddenly crossed the double yellow line and was hit by a 1976 Chevrolet pickup. A witness told the California Highway Patrol Officer that Carl had passed him at a high rate of speed and soon afterward his motorcycle crossed into the oncoming traffic and was hit by the pickup. In his defense, the driver of the pickup, Dean Young, 47, of San Diego said that he “was unable to react in time to avoid a collision with the bike.”

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Carl Davis Jr. The number of catastrophic motor vehicle accidents that take place in San Diego County due to speeding is on the rise. Poor decisions, like suddenly switching lanes into oncoming traffic, can lead to disastrous consequences and, as in this case, even death.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego personal injury lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, CA law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a San Diego car accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a head-on car crash or motorcycle wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 23 year old San Jacinto man was killed in a San Diego car accident on SR-79 near Beaumont as his car, a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, vaulted off the road and banged into the mountain side, north of County Landfill Road.

This fatal San Diego County auto accident occurred on January 27,2010, around 3 a.m. The driver, Daniel Eugene Valdez, was driving south on the highway when he lost control of his car. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Beauchene, the sedan then rammed into the mountain, cutting all escape routes for the two occupants. The car crash resulted in Valdez’s death and severe injuries to his passenger, Raymond Trejo, 23, of Hemet. Trejo was later taken to a local trauma center in Riverside.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Daniel E. Valdez and Raymond Trejo, who is still in the hospital. There have been various incidents reported where young adults meet with a horrific accident. Residents of San Diego County need to be more cautious about driving during late hours when they may be tired and fatigued.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a San Diego County auto accident, please contact San Diego, CA car accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group. You may also contact these San Diego injury lawyers online or at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation and helpful information.

If you would like more information to help you following a traffic collision or car wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 36-year old Julian woman died tragically as her car, a Chevrolet Astro minivan, rammed into a stationary Oldsmobile 98 station wagon, which had crossed over the center divide of highway SR-67 near San Vicente Reservoir. The East San Diego County auto accident also seriously injured the driver of the Oldsmobile, John Hallaway of Las Vegas. The driver of the minivan was killed instantly.

This fatal car accident occurred on January 26, 2010, around 2:30 p.m near Johnson Lake Road. Apparently, the station wagon, had swerved across the road and continued against the southbound traffic for over a quarter of mile.The minivan could not swerve away to avoid the wrong-way driver.The victim’s name has been withheld by the California Highway Patrol awaiting notification from her family. Mr. Hallaway suffered major injuries and was airlifted to a local trauma center. Hallaway claims that he could not control his vehicle because he had fallen asleep just before the crash. You can read more about this accident in this 10news.com story.

Such freak accidents tend to leave one shaky and faithless in the conduct of other motorists. Clearly, Mr. Hallaway’s failure to keep his vehicle on the right side of the road led to this horrific traffic collision. Who would have thought that despite adhering to all the norms and regulations of driving, the young lady would die this way? Our wishes and prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased woman. We understand how tough it is to cope with the passing away of someone so close to you. Everything seems so unfair!

If you or a loved one has been injured in a San Diego County auto accident, please contact San Diego, CA car accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego personal injury lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group. You may also contact these San Diego injury attorneys online or at 888-233-5020for a free consultation and helpful information.

If you would like more information to help you following a traffic collision or car wreck, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

Two children who were involved in a San Diego County auto accident and were swept away by the Tijuana River last week are still reported missing by San Diego authorities. A 5-year old boy and 2-year old girl were thrown into the flowing Tijuana River after their family car crashed into the water last Wednesday. Their 9-year old sister was killed in the car accident while the parents’ conditions were unknown. Several search attempts have been made for a body drifting in the storm waters near the Border Field State Park.

It was early Sunday when migrants near the Border Field State Park reported to the authorities of a body floating in the water. Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said that the fire crew, along with the lifeguards and US Customs and Border Protection agents, searched the area where the body was spotted for hours but found nothing. The area being searched is near where Imperial Beach and San Ysidro meet the Mexican border. The bodies of the 5-year old and 2-year old have not been found.

We can only hope and pray that the children lost in the Tijuana River will soon be found by the authorities and brought back home to safety. According to authorities, last week’s storms caused the water in the dam upstream to nearly crest, leading to a large amount of water to flow through the area. You can read more about the car crash that led to the disappearance of these two children here in this Washington Post story.

If you or any of your loved ones are victims of a San Diego County auto accident and are in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact San Diego car accident injury lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego, CA personal injury attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group for more information. You can also contact these California injury lawyers at 888-233-5020 or online for helpful information and a free initial consultation.

For more information on auto, motorcycle, or other forms of accidents, order a free copy of The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case by Mr. Ross Jurewitz. You can order the book from the official Jurewitz website immediately.

50-year old David Reid was killed in a violent car accident in Spring Valley, California last Friday. The serious injury auto accident also left Mr. Reid’s teenage son, Garrett, with major injuries. Andrew Bellatti, 18-years old recent graduate from Steele Canyon High School and a recent draftee of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball franchise, crashed head-on into Reid in a red Mustang, killing him. Bellatti, along with his companion and Reid’s son, were sent to the hospital with significant injuries.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the red Mustang drove head-on into Reid’s Dodge Caravan. The crash happened in one of Spring Valley’s most dangerous highways, Highway 94, where the roads are known to be narrow and accident prone. One of the Reids’ close friends, Russ Hadley and son Joshua, expressed utter shock and sadness over the loss of David Reid and were sad to hear it happened on Highway 94. There will be an open service held for David Reid next Sunday, January 31. More information regarding the car crash in Spring Valley can be found in this 10News.com story.

There have been several reports on car accidents and injuries in which teenagers and young adults are the ones behind the wheel, all of which end up in traumatic experiences, loss, and pain. David Reid’s death is just one of the many tragic stories of San Diego car accidents that could have been avoided. It is important for the citizens of San Diego County to lessen the number of car crashes caused by young adults by being more aware of the dangers of driving along steep roads, in wet and rainy conditions, and to always observe the speed limit. Mr. Bellati’s speedometer was frozen at 80 mph in a 55 mph zone.

If you or any of your loved ones are victims of a Spring Valley auto accident and are in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact San Diego County car accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the Spring Valley injury attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group for more information. You can contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers at 888-233-5020 or online for helpful information and a free initial consultation.

For more information on auto, truck, motorcycle, other forms of accidents, order a free copy of The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case by Ross Jurewitz. You can order the book, which is free to all Californians, from the official Jurewitz Law Group website.

Recently, the Jurewitz Law Group reported on a fatal Santee car crash that was the second accident seen at the intersection within a month. The victim has just been identified as a 53-year-old radiology technician.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Pamela Sue Marabeas of Santee was killed when a pickup truck struck the driver's side of her SUV as she crossed through an intersection at Mission Gorge Road and California State Route 125, near 6:30 a.m. on September 20, 2009.

Marabeas had been the sole occupant of her vehicle, and died at the scene of the fatal San Diego County auto accident. The driver of the pickup truck had to be rushed to the hospital and remains in critical condition.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Santee auto accident, contact Santee auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego car accident attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

The intersection where CHP Officer Saylor perished in a fiery San Diego car wreck, along with his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law, claimed another life on September 20, 2009, making it two fatal San Diego motor vehicle accidents within less than a month for the Santee location.

This second San Diego County car accident occurred at 6:35 a.m. at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road at California State Route 125, according to Lt. Gary Steadman of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. One person riding in the vehicle was killed while another was rushed to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The newest auto collision was reportedly caused when their vehicle hit a berm and veered off the roadway into a dirt construction area.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Santee car accident, contact Santee car accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego, CA auto accident lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

For a free copy of our California injury book, The 10 Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case, click on the link above. It is full of free, helpful advice for accident victims--including what to do and what not to do following an accident.

A fatal car crash close to Ramona along state Route 78 was finally investigated, prosecuted, and the El Cajon man who was the suspect was convicted.

The auto accident killed two men and injured a woman, and left the El Cajon man clear of murder charges, but convicted on two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter. Shannon Shimp was found guilty of DUI causing injury as he had been driving with a blood-alcohol level of over .08 percent. Each of these charges had allegations that the suspect inflicted great bodily injury personally, and caused death or injury to three or more victims.

Joseph Edwards, 52, who was the passenger in Shimp's pickup, was killed in the crash, along with Ian Kinney, 19, who had been driving a Lexus that was involved in the fatal Ramona car accident. Kinney's girlfriend was also injured.

A test conducted on Shimp nearly two hours following the traffic collision found that his blood-alcohol level to be .19 percent, more than twice the legal limit. Witnesses to the scene testified that Shimp had been driving eastbound when he tried to pass vehicles on the road, but instead lost control and collided with the Lexus, which became pinned under the pickup. Edwards, of Ramona, and Kinney, of Julian, both perished at the scene. Kinney's passenger and girlfriend, Tessa Medearis of Vista had to be cut from the sedan and was hospitalized. Shimp only suffered minor injuries from the fiery wreck.

Monte Bennett, the Deputy District Attorney of the area reported that the defendant Shimp is looking at about 17 years in prison once sentenced by Judge Herbert Exarhos on the following hearing on January 8.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Ramona drunk driving car accident, contact San Diego, CA DUI auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego, CA personal injury attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego injury lawyers online here.

You may also order our free California injury book, The 10 Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case, which is full of free information.

Two people have died this week in two East San Diego County motorcycle accidents. The first was the tragic accident of Mark Anthony Taylor when he was hit by an unlicensed car driver, which the Jurewitz Law Group has already reported. The second fatal motorcycle accident occurred in Descanso and was just reported by the San Diego County Coroner's Office.

Marleea Anne Gerfen, 21, was killed September 13th after fracturing her cervical spine in a motorcycle accident along California's Highway 79 while she was traveling southbound near Lookout Road in Descanso. Gerfen had been a servicewoman with the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar on active duty. She struck a dirt berm just as she approached a bend in the highway, causing her to crash on her motorcycle.

Though 911 was called and there was serious resuscitative effort on the paramedic's part, she was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene in this fatal San Diego motorcycle accident.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego, CA motorcycle accident, contact San Diego motorcycle accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the traffic accident lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

For more information about the best motorcycle accident attorneys in San Diego, CA, you can also visit our new motorcycle accident website.

A local band from San Diego called "A City Serene" with six members, were all seriously injured last week when their tour bus, which had been traveling up the California Grapevine along Interstate 5, was t-boned over the weekend.

The band, which has been classified as a screamo/hardcore band, was riding north on Interstate 5 through the Grapevine on September 20 around 3:30 p.m. when their bus crashed on the way to a San Jose show.

A CHP officer reporting on the incident noted that a Ford pickup truck coming in the opposite direction was airborne and flew over the center divider of Interstate 5. The truck caught a Honda Civic before going broadside into the bus belonging to the band. Another Honda just behind the bus then collided with the undercarriage after the bus had tipped over.

All seven people aboard were hurt in the wreck, all with serious injuries, and all six members of the band are reported to have suffered broken bones as a result of the California car wreck. The six musicians had to be transported by air ambulances to various hospitals in Mission Hills, Bakersfield, and Valencia, California. Family members report that two of the band members are barely holding on to life and are in comas at the moment. Other injuries suffered range from severe concussions to broken bones.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a California bus accident, contact San Diego, CA auto accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the California personal injury lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury attorneys online here.

Order a free copy of our California injury book for accident victims, The 10 Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case, through our website. It is a free resource for all California accident victims.

The recent tragic Santee car accident that killed a CHP officer along with his family due to floor mats that trapped the accelerator was the catalyst for Toyota make huge efforts recently to order all such floor mats to be scrutinized under mandatory inspections in all Lexus and Toyota vehicles. It appears that a wrong floor mat was installed into the Lexus loaner that CHP Officer Saylor had been driving when the fiery crash took place.

Though the investigation is not complete just yet, Toyota wanted to waste no time in getting the word out to consumer before a similar catastrophe took place. It was investigators with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that believes the all-weather floor mats found in the wreckage of the accident could have been a cause.

Released 911 tapes that the Jurewitz Law Group has previously reported on showed that backseat passenger Chris Lastrella, brother-in-law to Officer Saylor, made a call to report that their accelerator was stuck adn they had no brakes and they were driving at 120 mph, just before crashing into an SUV at the Mission Gorge intersection with state Route 125 in Santee on August 28 of this year.

By their orders, vehicles may also be taken to dealers for the inspection, and vehicles brought in for any service will have the mats checked as part of the service. The company recently released a statement noting that Toyota takes the safety of the public and their passengers very seriously and will fully cooperate with any investigation. It offers its deepest sympathies to the Saylor and Lastrella families.

Recently, the Jurewitz law Group reported on the fatal San Diego car accident that involved an off-duty CHP officer and his family, when the accelerator of their rental car stuck and they collided with an SUV before their car caught on fire and burned at the bottom of the San Diego river in a fiery Santee auto crash.

The 911 call made by the brother-in-law of the CHP officer was recently released by San Diego 10 News, in a devastating account of the last minutes of the California Highway Patrol Officer, his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law on August 28. The car they had been riding in was a 2009 Lexus. The call was made by the brother-in-law Christopher Lastrella, and released to San Diego 10 News as the following:

Lastrella: "We're on North 125 and our accelerator is stuck."

911 Dispatcher: "I'm sorry?"

Lastrella: "Our accelerator is stuck. We're on 125."

911 Dispatcher: "Northbound 125. What are you passing?"

Lastrella: "We're going 120. Mission Gorge. We're in trouble. We can't … there is no brakes. End freeway half mile."

911 dispatcher: "You can't do anything like turn off your engine?"

Lastrella: "We're approaching the intersection. We're approaching the intersection. We're approaching the intersection."

Others in the car are heard saying "hold on" and "pray."

As investigation showed, the Lexus they were driving had had "all-weather" floor mats which were made for Lexus between 2004 and 2009, but recalled by Toyota in November 2007 due to complaints that if they were not properly installed the mats would slide forward and trap the gas pedal. A full report of the crash is due to be completed in a few weeks.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Santee car crash, contact San Diego, CA auto accident Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego car crash lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

It looked like Labor Day in San Diego County might be more upsetting than celebratory, when a fatal car crash occurred within the first 60 hours of the three-day holiday weekend. However, when all was said and done it was a more successful weekend than anticipated, with that fatality being the only one recorded for the weekend.

37-year-old Mitchell Paul Pinder of Spring Valley had been riding his motorcycle when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a guard rail when he was driving eastbound on state Route 94, just near Barrett Lake Road in Dulzura.

Last year for Labor Day weekend, there were two killed in local traffic accidents according to theCHP. The drunk driving arrests for this year were also down from last year. There were 82 drunk driving arrests made in the hours between 6 p.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Monday, as opposed to 110 last year in 2008. Throughout California, 10 people died in fatal wrecks during that same time period, 18 less than the previous year. Altogether there were 1,262 were arrested for drunk driving statewide, down from 1,416 last year.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego drunk driving car accident, contact San Diego, CA car accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the California DUI auto accident lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

On September 2, 2009, a young 21-year-old woman from San Diego was killed as a direct result of her injuries suffered when another car collided with her vehicle in San Diego's North County area. The crash broadsided her motor vehicle and ultimately killed her.

The woman was identified as Rosa Mora of Vista, and had been the shotgun passenger in a 2006 Mazda 6 that had been stopped in a left turn lane waiting to turn while at an intersection's red light. They were riding westbound along state Route 76 at East Vista Way, according to Eric Newbury of the California Highway Patrol. It was not known why the driver of the car, a 19-year-old, ventured to make the turn against the light just after 11:00 p.m., and collided with a 2004 Nissan Xterra SUV that was traveling eastbound.

The car wreck caused major head trauma to Mora, who had to be transported via air to the hospital, where she died. The rest of the people involved in the two cars suffered only minor injuries. The driver of the Mazda looks at being faced with misdemeanor manslaughter charges because of his actions.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Vista, CA car accident, contact San Diego County car wreck lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego motor vehicle accident lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these California personal injury lawyers online here.

An 73-year-old woman from Julian, a City in San Diego County, was killed on August 10, 2009, when the 2001 Ford Explorer she was driving overturned multiple times and crashed into a large pine tree on a mountain road in eastern San Diego County. Authorities recently released the name of the victim, identifying her the next day as Charlotte Lorraine Winn.

Winn, along with her 68-year-old husband, were in the single-vehicle collision on San Diego's State Route 79, north of Wolahi Road just before 3:30 p.m. on August 10, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. Paramedics who arrived on the scene transported Winn to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, although she died a short time after getting to the hospital. Winn's husband had suffered moderate injuries and had to be taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego car crash, please contact San Diego, CA auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the other San Diego car crash attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these California personal injury lawyers online here

On August 6, authorities released the name of a 24-year-old man who was killed when his Toyota truck struck a row of parked cars, lost a tire, and subsequently overturned in Imperial Beach. John Kirk Colgan, Jr. hadn't been wearing a seat belt when he was ejected by the car crash, which occurred on the 1200 block of 11th Street around 10 p.m. on August 5, according to San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of the San Diego County rollover car accident has still been under investigation.

Witnesses to the tragic auto accident performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Colgan when they saw what had happened, but he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics who arrived shortly thereafter. Colgan had lived in Imperial Beach and is survived by his wife and young son.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in an Imperial Beach car accident, contact San Diego County auto accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego, CA car crash lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego County personal injury attorneys online here.

A man killed in a single-vehicle San Diego car crash on August 13, 2009, was identified as John Kirk Colgin Jr., 24, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office. Colgin had been speeding in a Toyota pickup truck on 11th Street near Fern Avenue at 10 p.m. when he hit several parked cars, officials said. The right front tire came off of the vehicle which caused Colgin to lose control of his truck and it overturned, killing him in the San Diego car wreck.

Colgin had not been wearing a seat belt and was partially thrown out of the truck, which then rolled on top of him. Witnesses had lifted the truck off of him and worked on performing CPR when the paramedics arrived, but he still died from the injuries he sustained. Colgin was married and lived with his wife and son in Imperial Beach, the Medical Examiner's Office reported.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in an Imperial Beach car crash, contact Imperial Beach, CA car accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego County personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego personal injury lawyers online here.

The ex-Media Chief for the popular O'Reilly Factor, a talk show on politics hosted by Bill O'Reilly, passed away after a tragic Santa Rosa, CA motorcycle accident that took his life. He had been riding along a winding Point Reyes-Petaluma Road to his mother's house in an effort to avoid traffic on Highway 101. The 59-year-old resident of Santa Rosa, California, was on his way to have dinner with his mother, something he did once a week.

The deadly California motorcycle accident occurred when Amen collided with a van outside of Petaluma just between San Antonio and Hicks Valley roads, at 6:15 p.m. on August 12, 2009. A report by the California Highway Patrol from Marin County says that a 2003 Ford E-350 van had driven out of the southbound lane and into the northbound lane, directly in the way of Amen's 2008 Ducati motorcycle, and the two vehicles collided with fatal results.

Both the Ford and the Ducati caught on fire at the moment of impact. The Ford hit a gate and cattle just east of the roadway and a small brushfire ensued from the motor wreck. The driver of the truck left with minor cuts and scrapes on his arms. Amen had been thrown from his motorcycle and landed in a ditch at the side of the roadway. He died at the scene.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Francisco, CA motorcycle crash, contact Northern California motorcycle accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Francisco personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Francisco accident lawyers online here.

A suspected car thief was hospitalized on August 6 following a San Diego County car crash that killed his passenger as the vehicle he was in was being pursue by sheriff's deputies in San Marcos. The auto accident occurred off the eastbound side of San Diego's State Route 78, east of Nordahl Road, just before 8 p.m. on August 5. The pursuit happened just moments earlier when deputies had spotted a stolen two-door Honda Accord by Center Drive and Nordahl Road in Escondido.

The vehicle had been reported stolen earlier in the day from another area of San Marcos, according to sheriff's Sgt. Charles Cinnamo. In the midst of the car chase it appeared as though the driver of the Honda was not familiar with how to handle a manual transmission vehicle, and lost control of it on the highway of the chase that lasted merely a quarter mile. The car chase ended when the Honda slid off the freeway across a dirt path, struck a tree and flew into a concrete drainage ditch, ejecting both the driver and the passenger. The driver, Gumersindo Gutierrez, 19, has been seriously injured in the San Diego car chase but is expected to survive.

The passenger was identified as Guillermo Ceja, 23, who died at Palomar Medical Center at 11:36 p.m. Deputies recovered a stolen car stereo and a loaded handgun in Ceja's possession. Gutierrez faces charges that will include vehicular burglary, possession of stolen property, felony evading, driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Marcos car accident attorney representing people seriously injured, or the families of people killed, by San Diego County auto accidents, commercial truck wrecks, and motorcycle crashes. The San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers of the Jurewitz Law Group handle injury accident cases throughout California. You can contact his office at (888) 233-5020 or you can contact these injury lawyers online here.

A San Diego native was killed last week in North Dakota in an auto accident that occurred between his car and a semi-trailer on the road.

According to authorities, 45-year old Ray Gibbons, Jr. of San Diego was on the road when a motor vehicle crossed a center line while driving south on North Dakota's state highway 3 around 9:30 a.m. last Thursday. The state Highway Patrol of the northern United States reported that the northbound tractor-trailor truck braked and turned right before striking the car head-on. Gibbons was pronounced dead at the scene about 10 miles north of the city of Harvey. The semi driver was treated and released.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego auto accident, contact San Diego commercial truck accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the other San Diego car accident lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury attorneys online here.

An Oceanside car accident a few weeks ago that left a 9-year-old girl dead has put the 23-year-old driver on trial. The driver plead not guilty to the charges of gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI, and child endangerment. The girl was the daughter of a woman he was dating.

Michael J. Wright Jr. of Commerce in Los Angeles County had been ordered to be held on $400,000 bail by Judge Marshall Hockett of Vista in San Diego County. Wright is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted, according to Deputy San Diego District Attorney Jodi Breton.

The defendant was arrested after the fatal San Diego County car crash that killed his young passenger. The freeway collision occured around 1 a.m. on Monday on northbound Interstate 5 at Cassidy Street. The victim is identified as Violet Rosenquist, also of Los Angeles County, who was riding in the rear seat of the 2006 Lexus RS3300. Wright, the driver, failed to notice vehicles slowing down ahead of him in time, swerved to the right and then crashed into a Dodge Caliber, hit a Honda CRV, and slammed into the left rear side of a big-rig commercial truck.

The girl was flown to Rady Children's Hospital, where she died minutes after the arrival. Wright is charged with one count each of gross vehicular manslaughter with alcohol, DUI causing injury, DUI with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent of higher and two counts of child endangerment with an allegation of great bodily injury.

If you or or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Oceanside DUI car crash, contact Oceanside DUI auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego County personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these Interstate 5 car accident lawyers online by visiting their San Diego personal injury law firm website here.

Five people, all family members, were reported dead after their SUV crashed and caught fire on an Orange County freeway in Mission Viejo on April 4, 2009.

California Highway Patrol Officer Gabe Montoya notes that witnesses saw the SUV blow a tire causing this Interstate 5 auto accident. The vehicle then spun over an embankment and rolled several times before landing on the roof and catching on fire.

The Orange County Coroner mentioned that a 37-year-old man along with a 33-year-old woman were inside the SUV at the time, along with three other females. The passengers had apparently been trapped inside the car and could not escape. Their bodies had tragically been burned beyond recognition.

If you or or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a Mission Viejo car accident, contact Orange County auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the Orange County personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (888) 233-5020. You may also contact these Mission Viejo injury accident lawyers online here.

A Valley Center man was the center of a fatal truck accident in San Diego that left him dead last week. The accident took place in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego. It is suspected that the man suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel.

The truck motorist had been driving southbound near Robinson Avenue around 12:45 p.m. on August 4, 2009, and lost control of his 2002 Ford F350 when it veered off the left-hand side of the roadway and struck a guardrail. The truck then came to a stop at the center median of the road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Medics that arrived on the scene did perform CPR on the man before taking him to the nearby Scripps Mercy Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. His name was withheld pending notification of his family.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego truck accident, contact San Diego truck accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the other San Diego injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also reach these San Diego personal injury lawyers online here.

Northbound Interstate 5, which runs up the western coast of the United States, saw a deadly pedestrian accident in Oceanside just north of Harbor Drive on August 10, 2009, when a pedestrian was struck and killed on the freeway.

A motorist in a Honda struck the pedestrian in the early morning hours, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP was forced to shut down all four lanes of the northbound I-5 highway while officers investigated the car crash. While the lanes were reopened shortly before 2 a.m., the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. Further information regarding the victim, driver, or accident had not been made known as of Tuesday afternoon.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego pedestrian accident, contact San Diego pedestrian accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the other personal injury attorneys in the San Diego law firm, Jurewitz Law Group. You may also reach these San Diego injury lawyers online here or by calling 619-233-5020.

A young man from Southern California died this past weekend in an Interstate 5 car accident when the vehicle he had been a passenger in swayed off of the highway and then overturned.

California Highway Patrol identified the victim as Frederick Windsor IV, 18, from Southern California's Highland. The Bakersfield rollover car accident happened at approximately noon on August 9, 2009. The car had been headed south on Interstate 5 around the Bakersfield area near the Ashe Road exit, traveling around 70 miles per hour when the driver, Melissa Chavez, 18, drifted onto the right shoulder. Chavez over-corrected and rolled the car into a dry ditch.

Windsor was killed in the fatal Kern County car crash, while Chavez and another passenger, Anythony Stith, 18, received only minor injuries. The CHP reported that Windsor had not been wearing his seat belt at the time of the wreck, and it is still under investigation whether or not drugs or alcohol played a part in the fatality.

If you or anyone you know has ever been involved in a Bakersfield auto accident, contact Bakersfield car accident attorney Ross Jurewitz of the Jurewitz Law Group. He and his team of experienced personal injury attorneys in Bakersfield can provide you with free helpful information and an evaluation of your case. You can also contact these Bakersfield injury lawyers online here or by calling (888) 233-3180.

A Fresno commercial truck driver was arrested on August 3, 2009, when his big-rig carrying tomatoes was involved in an early morning crash that ended up leaving four people dead from this Fresno interstate trucking accident.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the car wreck happened just after 5 a.m. on August 3 just 40 miles southwest of Fresno when the truck driver allegedly ran a stop sign and hit a small car nearby. Witnesses to the collision noted that the truck driver fled the scene but was located about three hours later and arrested on suspicion of both a hit-and run-accident with injuries and vehicular manslaughter. The commercial truck was towed for evidence. The collision was strong enough that it ripped the roof off of the car.

The only survivors of the multiple car pileup was one young woman, who had to be taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

If you or anyone you know has ever been involved in a Fresno hit-and-run car accident, contact Fresno auto accident attorney Ross Jurewitz of the Jurewitz Law Group. He and his trained team of personal injury lawyers in Fresno can provide you with a free evaluation of your case and provide helpful and useful information. These Fresno accident attorneys can be contacted by calling (888) 233-5020 or online by clicking on the link above.

Five people died on August 4, 2009, when an SUV rolled off of San Diego's Interstate 5 southbound in Mission Viejo and rolled down an embankment and ultimately burst into flames.

The crash had been reported at 10:25 a.m. near the La Paz Road exit, according to CHP Office Gabe Montoya. Initially it was unknown how many died in the fiery wreckage burned from the accident, but it was later confirmed that 5 people were killed.

Witnesses to the accident noted that a tire on the SUV blew out, and caused the driver to lose control. Investigation was still under way as of Thursday, and the exact cause is still not yet known.

What is known, however, is that there were multiple people in the vehicle. The exact number is not known, but the occupants were trapped inside while it burned. No one was able to survive and there were numerous fatalities in the deadly Orange County multi-car accident.

Some other reports note that many inside the car were children, and that the driver had survived the crash initially, but went back into the burning vehicle in an attempt to rescue the other occupants, but was unsuccessful.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in an Orange County car accident, please contact Orange County personal injury attorney Ross Jurewitz and the Orange County injury lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group at (888) 233-5020. You may also contact these Orange County personal injury lawyers online here.

A nine-year-old girl from Los Angeles, identified as Violet Rosenquist, was the sole victim of a multi-car pile-up on Interstate 5 in Oceanside early in the morning of August 3, 2009. The driver of the car she was riding in was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and drunken driving, according to California Highway Patrol authorities.

The deadly Oceanside car accident happened just after 1 a.m. when traffic on northbound I-5 was heavy and slowing to nearly 25 mph. It took place north of Cassidy. A Lexus sport utility vehicle was traveling at 50 mph in the fast llane and needed to swerve to avoid the slowing Dodge Caliber in the lane ahead. Unfortunately, the Lexus' left side hit the right rear of the Caliber, cause the Lexus to lose control completely/ The right side of the SUV struck a Honda CRV and a semi-truck before coming to a rest on the freeway.

The girl who died had been a back-seat passenger in the Lexus and was taken by helicopter to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The driver of the Lexus, 23-year-old Michael Wright of Commerce, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving. Authorities did not release information about his relationship to the girl.

A 38-year-old man in the Honda did suffer moderate injuries and was taken to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside. A 50-year-old man in the Dodge suffered only minor injuries. The crash briefly closed all lanes of the freeway and affected traffic until after 3 a.m., according to the CHP Web site.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in an Oceanside car accident, please contact Oceanside car accident attorney Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego County injury lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego personal injury lawyers online here.

A deadly San Diego County motorcycle accident occurred last weekend when a motorcycle collided with a car on the road, and the man driving the motorcycle was killed. He has been identified as a 44-year-old Chula Vista resident.

Michael Vankleeck was the rider, who died at the UCSD Medical Center at 2:35 p.m. on July 31, 2009, merely an hour after the crash took place at Nacion Avenue and Montclair Street in Chula Vista, per reports from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Officer.

Vankleeck had been riding southbound along Nacion Avenue and broadsided the motor vehicle while in an intersection, according to Officer C.J. Burroughs of the Chula Vista Police Department. It is a tragic occurrence and we continue to ask all on the road to exercise cautious and safe behavior while sharing it with everyone else, as lives are easily taken, especially in motorcycle accidents.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a Chula Vista motorcycle accident, please contact Chula Vista motorcycle lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego injury lawyers online here.

Earlier this week, a man was killed when the vehicle his wife was driving swiped a van along Interstate 8 in the East County highlands and rolled into a gorge, leading to his death. He was recently identified as being a 70-year-old man resident of National City in San Diego County.

Dennis Conrad Wolf had been the front seat passenger in his wife's vehicle, a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier that unexpectedly swerved in front of a commercial van just off of Willows Road in Alpine around 12:45 p.m. on July 31, 2009, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Officer. The back of the their car hit the front of the truck in this fatal San Diego auto accident. The Cavalier then spun out and off the south side of the freeway, rolling around 50 feet down a steep embankment.

Wolf was partially thrown from the car, which then ended up landing on top of him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Wolf's wife was airlifted to a trauma center for evaluation on suspicion of neck and back pain. The driver of the truck had no reported injuries.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a East San Diego County car accident, please contact San Diego County car crash lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego accident lawyers online here.

A United States Marine was killed on August 2, 2009, when the car he was riding in as a front seat passenger crashed into a tree in San Clemente. He has since been identified as a 22-year-old corporal.

Cpl. Edmond K. Vandecasteele IV, of Rockingham, N.H. had been an ammunition technician with the 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, according to 2nd Lt. Joshua Benson. The fatal San Diego area car crash occurred around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday in the 200 block of Avenida Vista Montana in the Orange County city just north of the Camp Pendleton Marine base. The other three riders in the cars were also Marines. The driver is still listed as being in critical condition at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, according to Benson. The two back seat passengers escaped without serious injury.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Clemente car accident, please contact San Clemente car accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Clemente injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group in San Diego at (888) 233-5020. You may also contact this San Diego, CA personal injury law firm online here.

The Interstate 405, known as the San Diego Freeway, saw a deadly motorcycle accident over the weekend when a 27-year-old man was killed in a collision along the highway.

The victim was Matthew Wekall of Cypress, who had been riding south on the 405 freeway when the accident happened, shortly after 7:40 p.m., just north of Magnolia Street. The accident was said to have involved a car, a sports utility vehicle, and a fixed object. Following the collision, Wekall was taken to Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, and was pronounced dead at 8:32 p.m. at the medical center.

Traffic fatalities in Orange County had steadily been declining, with a reported rate of 14 percent drop in 2008. However, motorcycle deaths rose a staggering 44 percent from the previous year. The California Highway Patrol is currently investigating the motorcycle crash, with the concern of the rise of motorcycle fatalities.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego motorcycle accident, please contact San Diego motorcycle accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these personal injury lawyers in San Diego online here

A big rig truck wreck and car accident were involved in a large, fatal traffic accident in Orange County that closed both sides of State Route 57 in Fullerton last week.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the auto accident happened around 7 p.m. at the Chapman Avenue exit. The driver of the truck was presumed to be killed within the fiery wreck. There was also footage of firefighters tearing into the cargo compartment of the overturned truck to rid the flames.

Continue reading "Fatal Big Rig Accident Closes State Route 57 in Fullerton" »

A woman who died last week when her pickup truck collided with the back of a parked truck and burned in Clairemont Mesa was recently identified by authorities.

Melissa Ann Porter of Santee, had died at the scene of the crash, in the 5400 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego. The Medical Examiner's Office reported the incident to the press on Saturday.

Porter had been driving alone and was taking at exit at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard off of southbound Interstate 805 at 4:45 a.m. on July 24, 2009, when her pickup veered across all the lanes and slammed the back of a commercial truck parked near the freeway offramp, catching fire. A local passerby removed Porter from the burning vehicle, according to the Medical Examiner's report. Severe blunt forces were identified as the cause of death, said San Diego Police Sgt. Max Verdusco. The pickup had appeared to be traveling around 60 mph when the accident happened, believing that speed may have been a factor in the crash. The offramp had to be closed for nearly five hours following the accident for cleanup. You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SanDiego6.com story.

If you or anyone you know has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego car wreck, please contact San Diego personal injury lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego accident attorneys online here.

Continue reading "Santee Woman Killed in San Diego Car Accident" »

In Los Angeles, the California Highway Patrol is naming a Southern California man a hero after he rescued a 3-year-old girl from a burning vehicle on a Los Angeles freeway.

John McDonald of West Covina had been driving on Interstate 10 in El Monte on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, and saw an overturned sports utility vehicle engulfed in flames. There had been video footage of the man running to help while 3 people who escaped from the SUV ran away. The CHP mentioned that the driver of the SUV shouted that her granddaughter was still inside, and McDonald braved the car to rescue the girl. Both victim and rescuer had to be treated for minor injuries, including burns.

Continue reading "Man Heroically Rescues 3-Year-Old Girls from Burning SUV on Los Angeles Freeway" »

A fatal Riverside car crash left a 3-month-old boy from the town dead, due to injuries he had sustained in the auto accident. The car in which he was riding had apparently slammed into a power pole, San Bernardino County coroner's officials reported.

Ziad Abdel-Hadi was one of the five people riding in the white Nissan sedan when it crashed into the pole around 6:30 p.m. on July 18, 2009, near Mission Boulevard and Pyrite Street in the Pedley area of Riverside. The utility pole was down and ultimately knocked out power to about 250 Southern California customers. It also consequently sparked a blaze in a field nearby.

Continue reading "Infant Dies in Riverside Area Car Accident" »

A man was sentenced to life in prison by a Florida jury when he stood trial after admitting to smoking crack cocaine before a hit and run auto accident that killed a San Diego boy. The fate was decided within 24 minutes.

Zachary Foster was 3 when he was killed last year in Florida. Zachary's mother Amy, talked to reporters outside the courthouse , saying "Our hearts are broken forever. He'll never know what he took from us. I'm glad justice was served."

Continue reading "DUI Driver Sentenced for Fatal Hit and Run Accident That Killed Young San Diego Boy" »

Jesus Fernandez Alonzo, 26, was the allegedly drunk man behind the wheel who caused a rollover car crash in Vista, killing a passenger. At an earlier hearing, Alonzo pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in San Diego County's Vista Courthouse, and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Aaron Katz on Thursday to four years in state prison.

The sentencing comes from the April 17 incident when San Diego Sheriff's Officers reported that Alonzo was eastbound on West Vista Way near Santa Clara Drive about 11:30 p.m. when he crashed his Toyota 4-Runner. His passenger was 45-year-old Lorenzo Gabriel Lopez Gonzalez of Oceanside, who was thrown from the SUV and died before he could be airlifted to a hospital. To read more about this San Diego fatal DUI car accident, read this SanDiego6.com story.

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Travis Chris Weber, 44, is an unemployed drifter with a longstanding history of drunk driving convictions who pleaded guilty on May 26 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and admitted an allegation of hit-and-run causing death in San Diego County. On Thursday, June 25th, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for an alcohol-related hit-and-run car crash in Alpine that killed a bicyclist.

The collision occurred around 5p.m. in the bicycle lane on eastbound Alpine Boulevard last December 2, killing Edward Costa, a 30-year-old self-employed construction worker and father of two. Two days after the fatal hit-and-run accident, Weber was taken into custody.

The California Highway Patrol Office Michael Edwards testified during a January 21 preliminary hearing that having searched the silver Ford F-150 belonging to the defendant at the scene, he found three empty half-pint bottles of vodka in the cab, along with seven empty beer cans in the bed in the vehicle. Edwards also reported that he questioned Weber on the night of his arrest, when Weber told him he had been on a drinking binge for five days and woke up in Campo, hours after the collision, and had no idea how he had gotten there, according to the officer. Just after his arrest, Weber was documented as having a blood-alcohol level of .19 percent, more than twice the .08 legal limit. You can read more about this fatal San Diego hit-and-run car accident in this San Diego News Network story.

Continue reading "Man Sentenced to 11 Years for San Diego Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

The well-publicized death of Alexandria Drake (we've written about her story in San Diego Car Accident on SR-67, Mother Killed in Ramona Street Racing Accident, and Alexandria Drake's SR67 Car Crash) has taken a new step now that one of the drivers will be charged with manslaughter. Alexandria Drake was a 25 year old mother who died when, according to witnesses, one car of two that were street racing on the State Route 67 in San Diego slammed into her car, killing her with her infant child in the back seat. The second car, identified as a white BMW, sped off and has not been found.

After a few months of suspense and legalities as the case was being sifted through, the driver of the car that hit Drake's, Melvin Pearless, will be charged with manslaughter and should appear in court on Thursday. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison. Authorities are still seeking to find the driver of the white BMW that had been racing with Pearless. You can read more about this San Diego County car accident in this 10news.com story.http://www.jurewitz.com

Continue reading "Street Racing Driver Who Caused Fatal SR-67 Accident to be Charged with Manslaughter" »

A June 14, 2009, traffic collision on Interstate 215 killed a motorcyclist and even injured his passenger. Though the I-215 does not surface until Riverside County, it is a connection to the highly frequented San Diego County Interstate 15 freeway, and a well-traveled shortcut for many San Diego residents on their way to Las Vegas, or other desert locations, as it splits off of the I-15 and meets with it again north of San Bernardino some dozens of miles further north.

The suspect driving the car is 28-year-old Daniel Palmer of Rim Forest, who is now behind bars at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on suspicion of murder, as well as drunk driving. Palmer had been driving a 1999 Ford pickup truck when that struck James Hayward Julian IV from behind on soutbound I-215, just south of Second Street in San Bernardino, resulting in the fatal motorcycle accident. You can read more about this San Bernardino motorcycle accident in this hayabusa.org story.

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In East San Diego County's Live Oak Springs, a 59-year-old woman from Ramona was killed in a traffic accident.

The East County resident was identified Wednesday as Sharon Marice Clanton. She had been delivering meals in rural East County and was found dead around 2:30 p.m. on June 9, 2009. Clanton was wedged between her vehicle and a fence post on Via Road in Live Oak Springs according to San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. Details of the accident were not initially made known.

Continue reading "East San Diego County Woman Killed in Live Oak Springs Traffic Accident" »

Shannon Maureen Mahoney, 22, of Vista had been riding in a truck along State Route 78 on the evening of June 6, 2009, when she was ejected from her pickup truck as the result of a violent crash. She died at the scene.

The fatal San Diego County area car accident happened around 10:22 p.m. near the El Camino Real exit from eastbound State Route 78. The driver of the truck was identified as Charles Lemay, 27, of Oceanside, driving a 2007 Ford Ranger pickup. Apparently the pickup swerved to the right suddenly, went off the freeway and subsequently overturned multiple times. Mahoney had not been wearing a seat belt, and was ejected from the truck. CHP reported that Lemay suffered moderate injuries.You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Oceanside Man Arrested After Oceanside Rollover Car Accident Kills Young Woman" »

In the early hours of June 1, 2009, an unidentified 32-year-old man from Chula Vista died when he drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into a pickup truck in this fatal San Diego County car accident.

The scene of the auto accident was at Lake Jennings Park Road, over a hill near Jack Oak Road, around 5 a.m. The man was driving a 2003 Dodge Dakota on the wrong side of the street, and collided with a 51-year-old man from Utah who had been d riving a 2004 Dodge truck west on Lake Jennings Park. The Utah man had been driving an estimated 45 to 50 mph and swerved to the left and braked when he saw the oncoming 2003 Dodge Dakota, but could not prevent the deadly collision, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings. You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Chula Vista Man Dead After Head-On San Diego Car Accident" »

A rollover San Marcos car accident on Highway 78 in San Diego County left a 20-year-old man from San Marcos brain dead. Though the incident occurred on the morning of May 25, 2009, the man had just recently been identified.

Rafael Rivera Jr. had been the only present in the Honda CRX which rolled over around 10:50 a.m. on Monday morning in this near fatal San Diego car accident. Rivera had been traveling at an unsafe high speed on eastbound Highway 78 to make it roll, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. Rivera had been trapped in the car and was freed from the wreckage by firefighters, though with serious head injuries. Paramedics that arrived on the scene took Rivera to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was pronounced brain dead at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. You can read more about this San Marcos auto accident in this SanDiego6.com story.

Continue reading "Fatal San Marcos Car Accident Victim Identified" »

IA fatal San Diego car wreck on May 26, 2009, involved two motor vehicles, one of which illegally ran the red light of an intersection. It was just announced on Wednesday afternoon that the driver of the car that ran the light may now be charged with misdemeanor manslaughter.

The California Highway Patrol reported that a 47-year-old man from Fallbrook had been driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck on Mission Road eastbound when he ran the red light at the intersection and slammed into a sedan turning left onto Mission Road from I-15. CHP Sgt. Lewis Hall says that it seems as though the driver of the pickup truck didn't notice the red light because of other distractions.

The driver of the sedan was 84-year-old Evelyn Crenshaw of Fallbrook, who was both died at scene of the car accident. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the injuries of Crenshaw. The driver of the Chevy Silverado will now most likely face misdemeanor manslaughter charges. You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SanDiego6.com story.

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A pickup truck traveling on Interstate 5 early Friday morning went off the roadway near Camp Pendleton and crashed onto Las Pulgas Road just below. Interstate 5 is one of the longest continuing freeways within the contiguous United States, stretching from the southernmost California border with Mexico, through the western states of Oregon and Washington, and into neighboring Canadian territory. The 1,381-mile stretch of this roadway sees hundreds of deadly car accidents a year, and this particular tragedy is just one of dozens to have occurred within the San Diego area in 2009.

The accident was reported at 4:52 a.m. on Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The truck landed just west of southbound I-5, and was the only vehicle involved in the wreck, although there was one death as a result of the wreckage on Las Pulgas Road. The main gate at Camp Pendleton was recommended for use while the police investigated the wreck. Many details are still not known and are still being investigated. You can read more about this fatal San Diego car accident in this SanDiego6.com story.

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Kelly Reister was a 51-year-old novice motorcycle rider from Mission Viejo who was out taking a spin on her Harley Davidson street bike on May 17, 2009. Reister, who friends say had been riding motorcycles of this kind for only about a year or two, lost control of her vehicle on a long curved stretch of Ortega Highway despite only traveling at 35 mph.

When she lost control she struck a rock formation and was thrown from the Harley. After being flown to Mission Hospital, she was pronounced dead at about 8 p.m. Kelly was remembered for her outgoing and friendly personality in her job position as a Sales and Marketing Director at the Shur-lock Company, as well as having been very close to her father, who was out of town at the time of the accident. You can read more about this Temecula motorcycle accident in this missionviejodispatch.com story.

Continue reading "Mission Valley Motorcycle Rider Killed in Temecula Motorcycle Accident" »

The friends and family of those closest to a Santee woman recently started a memorial site online to preserve her memory and spirit despite her death.

The 25-year-old Santee woman, Melissa Ann Porter, was the victim of a deadly car wreck last Friday. Porter was exiting Interstate 805 at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard when the Chevrolet pickup she was driving crossed the lanes of traffic. Sergeant Ramona Hastings reported that her truck collided with a parked tractor trailer, and both caught on fire from the auto accident. Despite the help of a passer-by who pulled Porter from the truck, Porter still died at the scene.

Continue reading "Victims of Deadly San Diego Car Crash Immortalized" »

A fatal San Diego County car accident on May 11 left 85-year-old Robert Francis Brunswick dead. A California Highway Patrol spokesman relayed the events that happened around 11:15 a.m. on Monday morning. Brunswick was exiting a business on Alpine Boulevard by Bay Meadows Drive in his Saturn sedan when a Ford Mustang traveling east collided with him on the driver's side.

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Authorities report that Brunswick passed away from this Alpine, CA auto accident while waiting for a helicopter to arrive on scene to airlift him to a hospital after the car crash. He had not been wearing a seat belt at the time of the incident. The 40-year-old driver of the Ford Mustang reported suffering from back pain and was transported to a hospital.

The CHP officer notes that there was no evidence that either driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and the Mustang's speed was recorded as being under the speed limit of that particular road. Brunswick's name had not been immediately released, but was reported by the Medical Examiner's Office on Tuesday. You can read more about this San Diego County auto accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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Brian Simnjanovski was identified as the 27-year-old Escondido native who died after his car crashed into a tree. The Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the details of the driver's identity yesterday morning.

Simnjanovski had reportedly been driving an Audi sedan on Valley Center Road south on Sunday just before 10 p.m. and failed to negotiate a curve at Vesper Road before running off the road. Simnjanovski was pronounced dead at the scene of the fatal San Diego auto wreck. Luckily no other vehicles were involved in the car crash. You can read more about this Valley Center car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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Many details were left unknown following a Friday morning accident that left a woman dead. According to San Diego police, a woman is dead after she crashed her car into the back of a semi-truck.

The fatal San Diego car accident transpired when the woman was getting off of Interstate 805 at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard on Friday morning around 5:00 a.m., and her vehicle veered and collided with the semi-truck, and her car burst into flames. The 805 offramp was closed for hours following the car wreck. While investigators were still deciphering the details of the accident on Friday afternoon, the name and causes would be released as they became known.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Crash Leaves Woman Dead" »

Valeria Atondo, a Chula Vista resident just 17 years old, died Thursday afternoon as a result of a three-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 5 just south of Washington Street in the San Diego car wreck. According to authorities, Atondo was ejected from a pickup and was identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Officer.

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The three-car pile up reportedly happened around 2:20 p.m. on Thursday when the driver of a Toyota Corolla lost control and hit the median wall, according in California Highway Patrol Officer Brad Beahr. It is unknown why the driver lost control. The Toyota bounced off the wall and struck a Ford Mustang, which made the Toyota spin, and was then hit by a Ford Ranger. The Ranger's passenger door opened and Atono was ejected from the right-front passenger seat, creating a fatal San Diego car accident. The other passenger in the Ranger left with an injured wrist from the San Diego car crash, but no one in the other vehicles was hurt. You can read more about this San Diego auto accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Chula Vista Teen Killed in San Diego Car Crash on I-5" »

The San Diego trial of Alan Lester Mabrey, the man accused of driving a truck under the influence of alcohol and killing Pacific Beach pedestrian Emily Dowdy, 24, has been set for June 25. Mabrey, who had seven prior DUI convictions while living in Texas and Colorado, now faces a felony charge second degree murder, as well as several other charges, arising from the fatal February 7 San Diego DUI and pedestrian accident.

The Jurewitz Law Group has written about this Pacific Beach DUI car accident and Pacific Beach pedestrian accident twice before.

Mabrey had allegedly been drinking at a nearby bar when he got into the driver's seat of his friend's truck and drove along Reed Avenue before hitting Dowdy as he was turning left onto Mission Boulevard. Dowdy suffered massive head injuries and was declared brain dead 24 hours later.

If Mabrey is convicted of the murder charges, he could be sentenced to 15 years to life behind bars. A guilty verdict for the remaining charges could add on an additional seven or nine years. Some of the other charges include gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit-and-run causing death, DUI causing death, and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.

The legal limit is .08 percent, and Mabrey's blood alcohol content was measured at .22 percent.

Continue reading "Trial Set for Fatal Pacific Beach DUI Car Accident" »

The Riverside County manslaughter trial of Mark Davis Julian, 31, of Homeland, has finally been set. The charges arise from a fatal 2008 Riverside County car crash that killed a Perris woman Terri Keller-Houle, 36, and seriously injured her two daughters. Julian had reportedly been driving under the influence of alcohol when he caused the fatal Murrieta auto accident.

One of the Keller-Houle's daughters, Amanda Keller, 10, remained in a vegetative state after the auto accident until she died in January. A preliminary hearing lasting by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer, resulted in Freer ordering that Julian be jailed in lieu of a $100,000 bail, and Julian was immediately taken into custody.

The fatal DUI car accident leaves Julian charged with two counts of DUI gross vehicular manslaughter and two counts of DUI with injury, with allegations of inflicting great bodily injury, great bodily injury causing paralysis or a comatose condition and having multiple victims. He now faces a maximum of 18 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

According to accident reports, Keller-Houle had the green light as she drove her car through the intersection of Briggs Road and State Route 74 in Murrieta around 5 p.m. As she passed through the intersection, her red Ford Excursion was broadsided by a large, lifted work truck traveling at full speed through the red light, causing the SUV to spin 180 degrees counter clockwise. Keller-Houle was killed instantly and daughter, Amanda, was almost ejected despite wearing a seat belt.

Continue reading "Trial Set for Fatal Riverside County Car Accident" »

Interstate 5 in Oceanside was the scene of a fatal Oceanside car wreck that claimed the life of a 49 year-old Rosemead man on Tuesday, whose name has not yet been released. The Rosemead native was reportedly driving a box truck behind a big rig that had begun slowing down for the truck scales on northbound I-5 when he drove into the back of it. California Highway Patrol Acting Sgt. Brad Denham says that the accident occurred after the big rig stopped in traffic in the far right-hand lane at about 11:10 a.m.

While it is unknown at what speed the driver of the box truck had been driving at, investigators say that there were no signs of the box-truck driver having applied brakes before the impact took place. The Oceanside trucking accident caused several lanes to close for a few hours along the very popular and busy Interstate 5 in Oceanside which weaves on and off of the Pacific Coast. The driver of the box truck was pronounced dead before he could be taken to a hospital. You can read more about this fatal Oceanside trucking accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Fatal Oceanside Trucking Accident Takes Life of Rosemead Man" »

The long standing investigation of the March 29th San Diego County car accident which took the life of 25 year-old mother Alexandria Drake was completed recently by the California Highway Patrol and submitted for review to the District Attorney's Office. While the CHP have not released specifics on their recommendations for charges against Melvin Pearls, 48, of Ranchita, they will be made available at a later date, according to Deputy District Attorney Doug Rose.

The highly publicized San Diego County fatal car crash ensued when Pearles was driving along the highly problematic State Route 67 near Ramona. Pearles was driving about 80 mph in a Jaguar when he lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and reportedly collided with several vehicles, one driven by Alexandria Drake of Chula Vista. The collision spun Drake's car off the road and into a tree, resulting in her death.

Pearles claims that the cause of his losing control was a white BMW just east of Archie Moore Road where the highway's two lanes merge. It had been originally thought that the drivers of the Jaguar and BMW had been street racing, although not confirmed, and the white BMW had disappeared and never stopped after the car collisions.

Continue reading "Report of Fatal Ramona Car Accident Completed Regarding Death of Alexandria Drake" »

On Wednesday, April 15, an 86-year-old female driver crashed her car through a wall and into a Tierrasanta dental office. We posted a story about this San Diego car crash a couple of days later reporting that a 59-year-old man had been pinned up against the wall near the reception desk. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office this Tierrasanta dental office patient passed away last Wednesday.

The victim, who had lived in Spring Valley with a roommate, had been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital after suffering multiple fractures and organ damage. Two days after being admitted he went to cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated but remained unresponsive and was put on a ventilator. He died a week and a half after the crash. You can read more about this San Diego car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Tierrasanta Dental Office Patient Dies After Car Crashes Through Wall" »

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.

Continue reading "Illegally Dumped Oil Causes Fatal San Diego Car Crash; Authorities Offer Reward" »

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported on Sunday morning that a 27-year-old male driver died on Saturday night when his Toyota Corolla veered off northbound Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton in North San Diego County. The auto accident happened just south of Basilone Road.

San Diego County authorities do not know why the man veered off the freeway but several other motorists stopped to help along with Camp Pendleton paramedics and the California Highway patrol.

Louis Andres Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene Saturday night. You can read more about this San Diego County car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Louis Andres Mendoza Killed When Car Veers Off I-5 In Camp Pendleton" »

San Marcos resident Shelley Meyer, 59, was killed while riding her scooter this past weekend east on South Santa Fe Avenue in San Marcos. Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Meyer was passing through the intersection of Mar Vista Drive when she was struck by a small sedan in North San Diego County, as reported by the Medical Examiner's Office. You can read more about this San Diego County motorcycle accident in this story.

Investigators state that the driver of the car was trying to turn left into the parking lot of a convenience store when Meyer was struck. While paramedics who arrive on the scene transported the victim to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, she was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.

The name of Shelley Meyer was originally unreleased until Monday. It is unsure whether the driver will be facing any charges.

Continue reading "San Marcos Woman Killed in Scooter Accident" »

San Diego County Officials have confirmed the death of Lorenzo Gabriel-Lopez-Gonzalez, a passenger in a Vista drunk-driving auto accident this last Saturday night. The driver, Jesus Alonzo, 26, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving. You can read more about this San Diego County car crash in this CBS8.com story.

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San Diego County police came to the car accident scene at Highway 78 and Melrose Drive at about 11:30 p.m. realizing that the vehicle came from West Vista Way and Santa Clara Drive. The vehicle had crashed through the guardrail and ended up near the freeway!

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, Gabriel-Lopez-Gonzalez, 45, was thrown from the car and passed away 45 minutes later. He left behind his wife and their children who reside in Oceanside. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family and particularly his children.

Continue reading "Lorenzo Gabriel-Lopez-Gonzales Killed in San Diego Drunk Driving Car Accident" »

A suspected drunken driver fleeing from San Diego County law enforcement officers hit a 1999 Toyota pick-up truck head-on on SR-76 this last Sunday night, killing the driver of the pick-up truck--Douglas Tarry--and injuring two others in the car accident.

The driver, Silvero Morales Romero, was being chased by California Highway Patrol officers when he decided to exit at SR- 76, running a red light at the intersection with Old Highway 395. At that point, the officers lost sight of the truck but continued on with their lights and sirens on.

While being pursued by law enforcement, Romero crossed over the double yellow line and crashed head-on into Tarry's vehicle, killing Tarry. Romero's truck then continued on to hit a 2004 Ford F-350 being driven by a 50-year-old man from Barstow with his 43-year-old wife as a passenger. Both suffered minor injuries. Romero, himself, lost a leg as a result of the auto accident. You can read more about this San Diego County DUI car crash in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Douglas Tarry Killed in San Diego Drunk Driving Car Chase" »

Two months ago, in February, we posted this article about a Pacific Beach DUI car crash where Emily Cathleen Dowdy, a pedestrian who was hit by Alan Lester Mabrey while he was intoxicated. The pedestrian accident happened on the intersection of Reed Avenue and Mission Boulevard when the drunk Mabrey attempted to make a right turn, but instead hit Dowdy.

Alan Mabrey, who according to a San Diego Deputy District Attorney had a blood-alcohol level of .22 an hour and a half after the incident, left the scene to get a burger at Burger King. After he got his burger, he returned to the scene and confessed to San Diego Police officers that he had hit someone.

Continue reading "Suspect to Stand Trial Following Pacific Beach DUI Car Crash" »

Following the recent death of Dusha Flowers, 33, from a deadly San Diego auto accident on the 805, comes another fatal auto accident on the Interstate freeway in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning. At about 5 a.m. on Wednesday, a 60 year-old woman driving a 1989 BMW northbound apparently lost control of her vehicle, causing it to slide to the right of her lane and collide with a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado. The minor ultimately caused both vehicles to both spin out of control and up an embankment on the side of the freeway and overturning. The Silverado pickup came to a rest on its side, partially in the freeway lane. You can read more about this San Diego car wreck in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

The passengers of the Silverado included the 36-year old male driver, a female passenger, and 2 year-old toddler riding in a car sea in the right rear of the vehicle. When the pickup overturned, the boy was ejected from the car completely. Paramedics who arrived on the scene took all three passengers to different hospitals, and the boy died at the Children's Hospital. The driver of the BMW did not suffer any injuries.

Continue reading "Fatal San Diego Car Accident on the 805 Leaves Toddler Dead" »

Two hours after midnight the morning of Easter Sunday, April 12th, San Diego resident Dusha Flowers was riding in a BMW sedan on the Interstate 805. The county Medical Examiner's Office reported that as the southbound vehicle approached SR-54 in National City, the driver lost control, the car veered to the side and ultimately overturned in this San Diego car accident. California Highway Patrol reported that Flowers, 33, was ejected from the vehicle onto the freeway, where a pickup truck ran over her and drove away without stopping or returning to the scene. You can read more about this fatal San Diego auto accident in this SanDiego6.com story.

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While the involvement of alcohol has not been confirmed, it is suspected that the accident was the result of a DUI. The identity of Dusha Flowers was not originally released after her fatal car accident pending notification of her family, but was released on Tuesday by the proper authorities.

Continue reading "Alleged San Diego Car Crash Leaves One Woman Dead" »

Robert Johnson's wife, Margaret Johnson, past away this last Saturday at a San Diego hospital according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. Margaret Johnson's death followed that of her husband's on Thursday. Margaret, 57, and Robert, 62, were found in their Dodge Caravan by San Diego County officials after the couple plunged into the San Diego Bay. According to San Diego Harbor police, neither of them were breathing and were unconscious when they were found.

We've written about the Johnsons' San Diego minivan accident before (here, here, and here). You can read more about Ms. Johnson's passing in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

The married couple of 19-years had just left the Sheraton where they had spent the evening visiting their family and their 2-year-old grandson. San Diego investigators are still trying to figure out why it is that their van plunged into the San Diego Bay.

Continue reading "Margaret Johnson of Vista Dies After San Diego Bay Minivan Accident" »

In the last week we posted two stories (here and here) about a couple, Robert Johnson and Margaret Johnson, that plunged their mini-van into the San Diego Bay just off of Harbor Drive. It is not yet known why Margaret Johnson, the driver, directed the vehicle towards the bay. The couple had just finished visiting with out-of-state family and their grandson at the Sheraton Hotel when their vehicle plunged into San Diego Bay. Margaret was found by San Diego divers near the driver's seat and Robert in the rear of the van.

Both Robert and Margaret Johnson were taken to UC San Diego Medical Center where Margaret remains in critical condition. Robert, on-the-other hand, passed away. But his family has some solace in the fact that his death has helped save two others. Two people received Robert Johnson's kidneys on Friday, Good Friday, in separate transplants here in Southern California. You can read more about Mr. Johnson's generous gift of his kidneys in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Robert Johnson was also the victim of Parkinson's disease and both his wife and he used to attend Calvary Baptist Church in Oceanside.

Continue reading "Robert Johnson Helps Save Lives After Losing His Own in San Diego Bay Minivan Accident" »

Following up on our previous post about this San Diego car accident, the male passenger in the submerged minivan has died. Robert Johnson of Vista was a passenger of the minivan driven by his wife, Margaret. San Diego Harbor police officers pulled the Johnsons, both of whom were unconscious, from the submerged vehicle. You can read more about this San Diego car crash in this 10news.com story.

Margaret Johnson remains hospitalized at UCSD Medical Center.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a San Diego car accident, please contact San Diego auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego car crash lawyers online here.

Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was one of three people killed in an early morning hit and run car accident earlier today. Investigating police officers suspect alcohol to be involved.

The car crash occurred after the Angels' game yesterday in nearby Fullerton, California. Adenhart was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broadsided, or "T-Boned", at an intersection by a minivan that allegedly ran a red light. Both vehicles spun in the intersection and one struck another vehicle. You can read more in this ABCnews.com story.

The minivan driver fled the scene of the auto accident on foot but was captured thirty minutes later. He has been identified as Andrew Gallo, 22, of Riverside. Gallo was driving on a suspended license for a prior drunk driving conviction. Tests of Gallo's blood-alcohol content indicate that it was above the legal limit at the time of the accident. It is likely that he will face vehicular manslaughter or murder charges for his role in the accident.

Two others involved in the accident, a 27-year-old man in the Mitsubishi Eclipse and 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene. Adenhart died during a last surgical attempt at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Angels' Rookie Pitcher One of Three People Killed in Fullerton Hit and Run Car Accident, Drunk Driving Suspected " »

Two motorcyclists died in San Diego County on Monday, April 6th, 2009, in separate traffic accidents within hours of each other. The first collision occurred around 4 p.m. when James Joseph Mann, as he was later identified, was driving northbound on Highway 79 and miscalculated the take on an upcoming curved and crashed into a southbound vehicle. The fatal motorcycle accident occurred just north of Camino San Ignacio in Warner Springs.

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The death of 52-year-old Mann, who is survived by a son, is made even more tragic by the second blow to San Diego County when just hours later at 9:35 p.m., an as-of-yet unidentified 58 year-old motorcycle rider was killed while riding in Harbor View. Unlike Mann, who had allegedly made an error in his steering, the driver of a 1996 Toyota Corolla violated the motorcyclist's right of way and made a left turn from southbound Pacific Coast Highway at West Cedar Street, ultimately killing the motorcyclist.

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You can read more about these San Diego motorcycle wrecks in this SanDiego6.com story.

Continue reading "San Diego Sees Two Serious Motorcycle Accidents Within Hours" »

The California Highway Patrol reported that two people were killed and three other people seriously injured in a rollover car crash along SR 94 near the intersection of College Grove Way in San Diego this past Sunday morning. The San Diego auto accident happened at about 2:45 a.m. You can read more about this car wreck in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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The CHP suspects that this early morning SR 94 car accident may have involved underage drinking. The Ford Mustang spun out, went off an embankment and rolled over several times, ejecting the driver and four passengers. None of them were wearing seat belts.

Continue reading "State Route 94 San Diego Rollover Car Crash" »

State Route 67 between El Cajon and Ramona is a dangerous stretch of road with many twists and turns. The street has no barriers between southbound and northbound drivers and 11 people died last year in accidents along this San Diego County highway. You can read more in this CBS8.com story.

Speed sensor signs are posted along the highway showing that many people drive above the speed limit on this windy road. In the upcoming year, San Diego drivers can expect more California Highway Patrol on the dangerous stretch of road. They plan to nail speeders who just can't seem to slow down. Just hours before the CHP received $265,000 for the new plan, another serious car accident happened along the highway where two cars clipped each other with no major injuries.

Continue reading "Fatal San Diego Car Accident Occurred Days Before New SR-67 Safety Plan Unveiled" »

We have written about Alexandra Drake's death from a San Diego car accident on SR-67 here and here. The auto accident happened due to 2 drivers street racing in oncoming traffic.

The man driving the Jaguar that hit Alexandria Drake's Volvo on SR67 this past Sunday has been identified as Melvin Pearless, 47, of Ranchita. Pearless will most likely be charged with vehicular manslaughter. The driver of the BMW is still being sought after for questioning. You can read more in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

Continue reading "Update On Alexandria Drake's SR67 Car Crash" »

Yesterday we posted this article about a Ramona car accident that was caused by two racing cars. Alexandra Drake was taken to Palomar Hospital after the auto accident where she fought for her life until she passed away. The 25-year-old mother left her 4 week baby, Jayden, behind. Jayden survived the crash without any serious injuries thanks to Drake's responsible care of correctly securing Jayden in a child's seat. You can read more about this car crash and Drake's tragic death in this 10news.com story.

Alexandra Drake's mother saw the auto accident from her rear view mirror as she drove in front of Drake at the time of the crash. Yesterday, we wrote that a gold Jaguar was racing a white Mercedes. However, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson has since confirmed that the Mercedes was actually a BMW. California Highway Patrol officials are still looking for information about the car wreck and are searching for the driver of the BMW. If you have any information, please contact them.

Continue reading "Alexandra Drake Identified as Mother Killed in Ramona Street Racing Car Accident" »

Michael Lee Moser, 54, was struck and killed in an El Cajon pedestrian accident by a pickup truck as he was crossing Jamacha Road, just north of Granite Hills Drive in El Cajon, California. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, Moser was not in a crosswalk when he was hit at about 8:15 p.m. this past Saturday. You can read more about this El Cajon car accident in this 10news.com story.

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The driver of the pickup truck called 911. Unfortunately, Michael Lee Moser, well known by friends and family in El Cajon and Lakeside, was killed at the scene.

Continue reading "El Cajon Pedestrian Accident Claims Life" »

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Raymundo-Ambrosio Vasquez, from Vista, California, was apparently standing outside of his Toyota Tercel with the door open on an I-15 accelerator ramp, just north of Poway Road, when he was struck and killed in a San Diego car accident on Wednesday morning by an Acura entering the ramp. You can read more in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.


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Ambrosio-Vasquez, 53, was apparently by himself and there are no witnesses to say why he was stopped.

The driver of the Acura called 911, but when San Diego first responders came to the scene, Ambrosio-Vasquez was already dead. The San Diego County medical Examiner's Office has an autopsy scheduled for today.

The driver of the Acura was not arrested, and the investigation is underway.

Continue reading "Vista Man Killed After Being Hit by Car on I-15 Ramp" »

Luis Pena, an ex border patrol agent, does not remember what happened a year and a half ago when his truck rolled over one night while he was on duty. What Pena does know is that he is lucky to have survived what he sees in the photos that were taken of his truck following his San Diego County rollover accident. You can read more about this personal injury story in this 10news.com story.

The roof of his truck collapsed, dislocating his C6 and C7 vertebrae and dragging the spinal cord with it. This caused a tear and a pinch on the cord, which in turn created a quadriplegic, ending his life as a firefighter, police officer, and martial arts instructor. Pena is not able to move 80% of his body but has regained some arm and wrist movement since his San Diego car accident.

Pena likes to have a smile on his face even though he is in constant pain. He knows that being a quadriplegic has not stopped him from being a father, a husband, and a counselor for people in San Diego who want to talk about issues. This is all hard to do with his constant pain, but he fights on.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 10,000 deaths a year happen from rollover accidents. Although rollover accidents are only about 3% of the accidents, about 60% of rollover accidents involve SUVs. San Diego officials and throughout the country argue that if roofs were made stronger then this would happen much less.

Continue reading "Weak Car Roofs Lead To San Diego Car Accident Deaths" »

Every year there are a sizeable number of San Diego commercial truck accidents. Due to the size and mass of these vehicles, trucking accidents tend to be more violent and more apt to cause serious injuries and death due to the truck driver's negligence.

It is not surprising that one of the largest factors in preventing trucking accidents is the adoption of a "safety culture" by the trucking company. Recently, the Transporation Research Board published a study entitled called "The Role of Safety Culture in Preventing Commercial Motor Vehicle Crashes". You can download a .pdf copy of the study here.

Amongst the study's findings are:

• Culture and safety have a clear connection. • Safety culture is best defined by an organization’s norms, attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding safety. • Effective top to bottom safety communication enhance safety culture. • Terms such as “accident” and “mishap” are often replaced with the terms “crash,” “wreck,” and other more appropriate, straightforward terms in many safe cultures. • Recognition for safe behavior is an effective component of safety culture. • Driver experience enhances a safety culture • Many levels of communicating safety culture are necessary

The report also recommends trucking companies take the following actions:

• Develop internal definitions of culture and safety. • Determine what omissions in the management system contribute to accidents. • Identify and dispel myths, such as the tendency to always blame weather or outside factors. • Conduct institutional safety knowledge development. • Define or redefine employee safety roles from top to bottom • Assess the effectiveness of safety communication and reengineer systems of safety communication. • Create or enhance a system of safety record data collection and analysis. • Develop or redevelop motivational tools, such as tying driver compensation and advancement to safety. • Improve driver retention.

Continue reading "San Diego Commercial Trucking Accidents Could Be Prevented By Adopting "Safety Culture"" »

Falling asleep at the wheel is just as serious of a problem as drunk driving here in San Diego County. Just this past Sunday, March 22, a driver fell asleep at the wheel of a Toyota Tundra, which went on to roll down a steep ravine off of I-15, near Fallbrook. The truck was carrying two other passengers. The front seat passenger, identified as Oscar Sandoval Jimenez, 23, of Moreno Valley, Riverside County, was thrown from the front seat and died at the scene. The driver and the second passenger were taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. You can read more about this Fallbrook car accident in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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The three individuals involved in this San Diego County auto accident were driving at around 3:15 a.m., which is a time when most San Diegans are asleep. According to a report released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada a driver who has not slept in 24 hours is as impaired to drive a vehicle as someone with an alcohol level of .1%. The Bureau's report also shows that the people most affected by fatigue at the wheel are young men, new/young drivers, workers with shift or split-shifts, people with sleep disorders, and of course people who's lifestyle does not allow them to sleep enough.

Continue reading "Oscar Sandoval Jimenez Killee in I-15 Car Accident Near Fallbrook" »

On March 22, Leslie Foster of the Valley Center area of San Diego County was killed when her Toyota Rav-4 was clipped by Alberto Allari, an Italian tourist. The car accident happened on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. You can read more about the auto accident in this North County Times story.

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Foster and her husband were returning from a concert in Anaheim when the car crash occurred. The impact caused their Rav-4 to skid off the freeway and roll numerous times down the side of the hill. William Foster, her husband, sustained serious injuries as well and was life-flighted in a helicopter to a local hospital.

Continue reading "Valley Center Woman Killed in Oceanside Car Accident" »

On March 19, we posted this story about a Carlsbad car accident that happened just off of interstate 5 where a 1996 Toyota Tacoma veered off the freeway and into the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. You can read more in this North County Times story.

The 27-year-old passenger, Amy Lopez of San Diego, died Friday at the Tri-City Medical Center, where she had been on a ventilater since Wednesday. According to the San Diego County medical examiner's office, Lopez was pulled out of the lagoon unconscious while the 22-year-old driver, Alicia Biggs, was able to swim out.

The California Highway Patrol said that the accident had been alcohol related and that Biggs would probably face felony drunken driving charges.

Continue reading "Amy Lopez of San Diego Dies After Carlsbad Lagoon Car Accident" »

A red 2004 Ferrari Modena came to a violent car crash with a light pole in Newport Beach this past week. NBC news reports that the driver of the Ferrari may have been Charles Lewis Jr., owner of TapouT clothing line.

A police officer was going north on Jamboree when he noticed the Ferrari and a white 1977 Porsche swerving out of control. The police officer believes that he caught the end of a car race on southbound Jamboree Road near Camelback Street. The Porsche kept driving when the Ferrari struck the pole but was later spotted at Bison Avenue, west of Jamboree Road. Jeffrey David Kirby, 51, of Costa Mesa and Lynne Marie Nabozny, 32, of Newport Beach were seen walking away from the Porsche and were arrested.

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A woman thrown from the red Ferrari was sent to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Her identity has not been confirmed.

Continue reading "Owner of TapouT Clothing Believed to Be Killed in Newport Beach Car Accident" »

Aram Gorgees, a 7-year-old boy, was killed in a El Cajon car crash when the car he was riding in was t-boned by another car. According to the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office, Aram was taken to Rady Children's Hospital, but, unfortunately, died an hour after arrival.

The young boy was one of four passengers in the car that was struck when coming out of a strip mall on Jamacha Road in El Cajon. According to El Cajon authorities, Aram was one of three people injured in the crash.

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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gorgees family. It is unfortunate that we have lost another San Diego child in a senseless and careless car accident. We know that there is nothing that can replace a child lost at such an early age. However, it is comforting to believe and know that he will be remembered fondly by his loved ones.

Continue reading "7-Year-Old Boy Dies After El Cajon Car Accident" »

Yesterday, we posted a story about this unfortunate Pine Valley Car Crash in East County San Diego that came about by a bad lane change. The identities of the two women that were killed were not known at the time but the San Diego Union Tribune in a story found here revealed the car crash victims to be Glenda Ann Pinkham and Adelina Ortiz Burfield.

Pinkham was a 64-year-old riding in the 2001 maroon Nissan Altima with 69-year-old Adelina Ortiz Burfield as the driver. Both Pinkham and Burfield died at the scene of this San Diego car crash.

Continue reading "Glenda Ann Pinkham & Adelina Ortiz Burfield Identified As Women Killed in I-8 Pine Valley Car Crash In East San Diego County" »

Late on the afternoon of March 9, 2009, two women riding in a maroon 2001 Nissan Altima made an unsafe lane change on I-8 in East County San Diego and were struck by a grey Nissan Altima. The two women in the maroon car were in their sixties and were near the Golden Acorn Casino when this San Diego car accident took place. You can read more about the accident here.

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The driver of the gray car was a 44-year-old woman with a 41-year-old man and her 7-year-old son. All three of them were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The women in the maroon Nissan died at the scene and their identities have not yet been released.

Continue reading "Two Women Killed in I-8 Pine Valley Car Crash in East San Diego County" »

Impact Teen Drivers, a statewide California program to educate young drivers about the dangers of driving while not paying full attention to the road, had its first session at the East County San Diego school of Steele Canyon High yesterday in El Cajon. You can read more about the event here.

The program coincided with Teen Driving Safety Week and it is meant to prevent casualties that result from inexperienced drivers.

According to Brian Pennings of the California Highway Patrol, "Traffic collisions in our country take more than 5,000 teens' lives every single year." Pennings went on to say that countless studies have shown that teenager are more likely to fail in a deadly car accident than any other way.

The California Teacher's Association, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Casualty Insurance Association put on this collaborative effort to remind San Diego teens and other Californians of what family members and loved ones may suffer when such fatal car accidents happen.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Education Program Brings Teen-Driving Message To East County" »

Late Friday night, George Peel Chandler, was killed in a San Diego car accident as he was coming out of Balboa Park in San Diego. A woman, going South along Sixth Avenue, ran a red light at Laurel Street and crashed into Chandler's Lexus. You can find out more about the accident here and CBS 8 news video is below.

The 73-year-old Chandler was sent to Scripps Mercy Hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival. The woman driver was treated for minor injuries and has not been cited for the car wreck, but she may still face criminal charges.

Chandler was an admired member of the San Diego community. He headed the U.S. Small Business Administration's San Diego district office and had also worked for the military and for NASA. It is unfortunate that his life was cut short because of the other driver's bad decision or negligence by running a red light.

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Continue reading "George Peel Chandler Killed in San Diego Car Wreck Near Balboa Park" »

An unidentified, 24-year-old, Oceanside man was killed Monday from injuries sustained from a suspected drunk driving car crash in Valley Center. The news story about the crash can be found here.

According to the California Highway Patrol officers, the man was driving east in a 1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee on Lilac Road at Via Piedra at aprroximately 8:20 p.m. when he crossed into the westbound lane. The Jeep crashed headlong into a 2002 Toyota Tundra. The driver of the Toyota suffered a broken elbow.

Three people were taken to the hospital after the car crash and the driver of the Jeep died while being treated for his injuries.

Authorities believe that drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a San Diego drunk driving car accident, please call the lawyers at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-5020 or contact them online here.

19-year-old Richard Caldwell of Poway will be sentenced today for a San Diego drunk driving car crash that occurred in April 2008.

The young teenager, 18 years old at the time, crashed his SUV and killed his passenger, Charles Amaro II of the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego, who was celebrating his 20th birthday with Caldwell and his passengers. Caldwell himself suffered head injuries and his three other passengers--a 19 year-old man, a 16 year-old girl, and a 17 year-old girl--were also injured.

The car accident was horrific. News stories at the time (found here and here) describe Caldwell driving at 65 to 70 mph along a residential street zoned with a 35 mph speed limit, leaving skidmarks, before rolling over several times on Valle Verde Road in Poway after it lost control on a curve past Vinter Way and ending up near Edina Way.

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At the time of the violent car wreck, it was suspected that the teens had been drinking and that alcohol was involved in the car crash. Sadly, that turned out to be the case.

Continue reading "Poway Teen to be Sentenced Today for Fatal 2008 San Diego Drunk Driving Car Accident" »

At about 2 p.m. on February 25, 2009, a 63-year-old woman died on I-8 near Buckman Springs Road in eastern San Diego County when her blue Honda Civic was hit by a red 2007 two-door Pontiac driven by Linda Cahill, 50, of San Diego. You can read more about the car wreck in this San Diego Union-Tribune story.

Cahill, traveling in the fast lane on eastbound I-8, caused the car crash when her vehicle hit the Civic while trying to change lanes, forcing the Civic off the embankment. The driver of the Civic was ejected from her car seat while her front seat passenger, her husband, remained in the car and suffered several injuries. The driver was killed, but Cahill came out of the incident with no injuries.

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Witness say that Cahill had been driving recklessly before hitting the Civic.

Continue reading "Campo Woman Killed in San Diego Car Accident" »

On February 22, three San Diego men were either seriously injured or killed in three separate motor vehicle accidents throughout San Diego County.

Jamul Car Crash Kills Driver

A 24-year-old man died in a Jamul car accident along Skyline Truck Trail just west of Lawson Valley Road. The victim was identified as Manuel Rodriguez.

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San Diego Motorcycle Accident Causes Severe Leg and Back Injuries

A 20-year-old man broke his leg and suffered back injuries when he was involved in a San Diego motorcycle crash with a truck at the intersection of National Avenue and 31st Street in San Diego.

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Escondido Bicycle Accident Kills Bicyclist

A 29-year-old man was killed in an Escondido bicycle accident near the intersection of South Centre City Parkway and Brotherton Road in Escondido when his bicycle collided with a Toyota Corolla. Unfortunately, the best that the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office could do--the most dignity they could give to the victim--was to identify him as a local transient.

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A series of San Diego car crashes led to the death of one person in the Spring Valley area of San Diego on February 18. The car crashes occurred on Southbound State Route 125, near Jamacha Road in Spring Valley resulting in the closing of the freeway for about a half hour. The source for this post is a CBS 8 news story, posted here.

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The closure was caused by a three-car accident where one of the cars overturned and caught fire. The driver of the car died at the scene.

The freeway was fully open by 1 p.m.

Continue reading "Spring Valley Car Accident Kills Driver" »

A 28-year-old woman fatally injured in an Escondido car accident on February 15 was identified as Maria Caballero Rangel. Ms. Rangel was a passenger in a 1994 Nissan Sentra heading eastbound on Valley Center Road, just north of Lake Wholford Road in Escondido, when a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, heading west, veered into their path. Both cars crashed headlong, severely injuring Ms. Rangel

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The Ford Escape's OnStar system alerted rescuers after it came to rest upside down and with a smashed front end. The red Sentra was crushed, according to CalFire Captain Nick Schuler.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in Escondido Car Crash is Identified" »

On February 12, 2009, John David Byrd of Escondido was traveling along South Escondido Boulevard near Sherman Way in his motorized wheelchair when a 2001 Infinity QX4 struck him. The car accident happened while Byrd was traveling as a pedestrian along the shoulder of the road.

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When officers of the Escondido police arrived on the scene, they found Byrd still in his wheelchair pinned under the Infiniti SUV. He suffered severe trauma and injuries to the head and torso. He died at the scene just before he could be taken to the hospital. He was 52.

The driver of the SUV was not hurt and the accident is still under investigation.

The Jurewitz Law Group sends its' prayers to Byrd's family at this sad time. While the accident is still under investigation, it appears that the driver of the SUV was at fault for causing the accident. Byrd may not have been in the crosswalk or along the sidewalk (assuming there is one at this location), but if he was traveling along the shoulder of the road it is hard to imagine a reasonably safe driver hitting him. Bicyclists and others routinely use the shoulder of the road to travel and it does not appear that Byrd was in the lane of traffic.