Scene of Woodland Hills, CA Accident Caused by Fleeing Hit and Run Driver

WOODLAND HILLS, LOS ANGELES – California

A driver fleeing the scene of an accident ended up colliding with two other cars on Ventura Boulevard at Desoto Avenue in Woodland Hills on Saturday.

Police said the driver of a red convertible got into an accident on another portion of Ventura Boulevard. He then took off and continued eastbound, colliding with two other cars that were stopped at a light at Desoto Avenue at around 11:30 a.m.

Five people were injured, three of them critically.

The driver of the car involved in the original hit-and-run accident said the red convertible rear-ended him. He and his daughter were not injured.

This particular accident really hits home for me, because it happened right or I grew up.

I don’t know what’s going on lately but it seems to me that there is a marked increase of hit-and-run drivers, and people fleeing the scene of accidents that their in.

In this particular accident, five people were injured, three critically, because some idiot decided not to stop after they were in accident.

It seems to me if there were mandatory jail sentences for hit-and-run drivers, with sentences being much tougher for hit-and-run drivers, that the word would get out and more people would stop after they’re in a car accident.

Furthermore, I believe that drivers, who were convicted of hit-and-run driving, should lose their driver’s license privileges for the rest of their life. I think maybe with these types of stiff penalties, accidents like this would not happen, and more people would stop rather than flee the scene of an accident.

What do you think?

If you or your family have been the victim of a car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Woodland Hills or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

Woodland Hills Car Accident Attorney Website

A motorcyclist was killed Sunday in a crash on Topanga Canyon Boulevard near the Pacific Coast Highway about 2:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported. The victim was pronounced dead at a hospital. Investigators were still on the scene, and no further details were available.

Also, a man died early Sunday when he was trapped under a flaming 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo that had been stopped on the shoulder of the southbound 110 Freeway near 52nd Street.

The 2:40 a.m. incident began when the 18-year-old driver of a 2008 Smart car slowed to avoid rear-ending a vehicle directly ahead, swerved onto the right shoulder and struck the Monte Carlo. Both vehicles burst into flames.

The Monte Carlo rolled over and fatally injured one of three men who had been standing near the car after it had broken down, the CHP reported. Two other victims were taken to hospitals, one in critical condition and one with lesser injuries.

The driver of the Smart car sustained scrapes and was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and driving under the influence, the CHP said. Names of the suspect and victims were not released.

About 11 p.m. Saturday, a pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old male overturned on the 710 Freeway, killing a female passenger and injuring three others. The accident occurred in the northbound lanes just south of the 91 Freeway, the CHP reported. No names were released.
A 23-year-old man driving a Honda Accord died late Saturday when he hit a power pole and tree on Somerset Ranch Road near Paramount Boulevard in South Gate.

The accident occurred about 10:50 p.m. when the driver exited the 105 Freeway at a high rate of speed, collided with another vehicle and slammed into the pole and tree, said South Gate Police Sgt. Mario Saldivar.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A female passenger was in stable condition at a hospital with minor injuries. No names were released.

And a 43-year-old Irvine man was killed while trying to cross the eastbound lanes of the 101 Freeway after crashing his car near Laurel Canyon Boulevard about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

The man had been driving west in a black Lexus when he drifted off the shoulder, struck a guardrail and came to rest in the number one lane, the CHP reported.

He got out of the car, tried to run across the freeway and was hit by a BMW driven by a 76-year-old Encino man. The driver of the Lexus was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released. The BMW driver was unhurt.

Last year, only one traffic-related fatality was reported in Los Angeles County during the first 36 hours of Labor Day weekend, according to the CHP. Statewide, the CHP has reported six fatalities so far, compared with eight last year.

In Los Angeles County, 227 people have been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, up from 209 last year, while statewide, the CHP has arrested 1,008 motorists on that charge, compared with 990 last year.

Traffic-related incidents so far this weekend are also higher than the July 4 and Memorial Day numbers this year, authorities said.
“There was a somewhat downward trend, and we were hopeful that would still be the case because people had gotten the message about safe driving,” said CHP Officer Ming Hsu. “Unfortunately, the numbers we have for this period are spiking.”

If you or your family has been injured anywhere in Los Angeles County or the State of California, you may contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 ext. 1, or submit your case through our website at http://www.therpersonalinjury.com

Los Angeles County Car Accident Attorney and California Personal Injury Website

The fatal wreck came just a week after state transportation officials reopened the winding 7-mile stretch of highway between La Cañada Flintridge and Angeles Forest Highway.

Pasadena resident Julio Velasquez, 21, crashed his Honda sedan near mile marker 30.71, a sharp curve about six miles above the Foothill (210) Freeway. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Bob Funke.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Becky Lynch said investigators believe alcohol and excessive speed may be to blame for the crash.

Funke, a first-responder, said Velasquez’s body was discovered by friends with whom he reportedly had been drinking earlier that night in the George’s Gap area of the Angeles National Forest, an isolated spot near Clear Creek.

“They said they were up at George’s Gap drinking, just being social, and the driver of the vehicle decided he wanted to go home. They tried to talk him out of driving, but to no avail,” Funke said. “About 35 or 40 minutes later, [the friends] were driving down and came upon [Velasquez’s] car embedded in the side of a hill. He had run head-on into a tree, and that’s how we found him.”

Funke said he did not see any obvious signs that Velasquez had applied his brakes prior to the crash.

An autopsy and blood-alcohol test is pending this weekend.

Angeles Crest Highway was closed above La Cañada for nearly 17 months to repair massive road washouts and other damage caused by the August 2009 Station fire and subsequent rainstorms.

The CHP has intensified traffic enforcement efforts along the roadway since its reopening on June 3.

If you or your family has been injured anywhere in the State of California, you may contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 ext. 1, or submit your case through our website at http://www.therpersonalinjury.com

La Canada Flintridge and Angeles Forest Highway Accident Attorney Website

The woman was identified by the Merced County coroner’s office as Josephine Rendon.

Rendon was a passenger in a 2004 Ford F-250 pickup that was traveling about 60 mph south of Highway 165.

The truck was being driven by 34-year-old Jose Serna of Los Angeles. Alvaro Velasquez, 35, also was a passenger in the truck.

The right rear tire of the truck had a tread separation, and Serna reacted by turning the truck to the left. He lost control of the truck, which spun counterclockwise and traveled across the southbound lanes. The truck then overturned in the center divider.

The victim was partially ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.

She wasn’t wearing a seat belt, the CHP reported. Velasquez and Serna were unhurt.

DUI wasn’t a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

If you or your family have been the victim of a truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Los Banos, Merced County, or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

Los Banos Wrongful Death Attorney Website

Scene of Azusa California Pedestrian Accident

AZUSA – California

Two 14-year-old students were hit by a car while walking to school Tuesday morning, leaving them hospitalized in critical condition.

The boy, a student at Azusa High School, and the girl, a student at Foothill Middle School, were crossing Baseline Road near Rockvale Avenue about 7:30 a.m. when they were struck by a white Nissan Maxima driven by an Azusa woman.

Azusa police Cpl. Donald Manley said a preliminary investigation indicated the driver was not speeding nor was she under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Her view of the street may have been obscured by the morning sun, Manley said.

It has not been determined if she had a green light at the time of the accident.

Ashlie Makroglous, 20, lives in a home next to the intersection. She said it looked as though the girl was injured worse than the boy.

Both students were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center by a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter that landed on the field at Azusa High School a short time after the accident.

“They were here within minutes,” Manley said.

Kathleen Miller, spokeswoman for Azusa Unified School District, said counselors are visiting both schools to speak with students who witnessed the accident. She also said a letter explaining the situation will be sent home to parents.

“We’re praying for the best for both their families,” she said.

The students aren’t the first to be struck by a car in the intersection. In September 2008, 11-year-old Martin Solorio was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike home from his first day at Foothill Middle School.

Makroglous said she didn’t understand why no crossing guard has been posted at the intersection – used by many students who live south of the 210 Freeway.

“That’s now three kids,” she said.

Azusa Mayor Joe Rocha said the city and school district “work together as a team” to provide crossing guards – the city pays for them and the district places them where they are needed.

Rocha said he’d like to see more crossing guards used throughout the city, especially in that intersection.

“I know it is a pretty high speed area,” he said. “You see many kids using the pedestrian bridge and it empties right out into Rockvale.”

Fred Vel, 47, lives next to the intersection and said he was saddened by the accident. He hopes something will be done.

“It would be great to have a crossing guard here,” he said. “Anything to help this out.”

If you or your family has been injured anywhere in the State of California, you may contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 ext. 1, or submit your case through our website at http://www.therpersonalinjury.com

Azusa California Car Accident and Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Scene of Studio City Car Accident

Studio City – California

An elderly driver was rushed to the hospital after losing control of her car and smashing into a brick wall.

It happened at approximately 11:30 this morning on the 11700 block of Ventura Blvd. just west of Colfax Avenue.

Witnesses say the woman was driving through an alley on the northbound side of the street when she hit a pothole and careened across both lanes of traffic before slamming into the wall.

“She ran the curb and hit the wall,” said one of the responding LAPD officers.

Police, citing privacy concerns, refused to comment further. However, it did not appear the woman’s injuries were life threatening.

Traffic was slowed travelling eastbound on Ventura Boulevard while the woman was carefully loaded into an ambulance.

Now Police State that the Pothole is not to Blame

 Police determined that witness reports of a pothole were not to blame for a crash that injured an elderly driver.

Officer Karen Rayner of the Los Angeles Police Media Relations Department says the driver simply “lost control” of her vehicle before slamming into a brick wall on the 11700 block of Ventura Boulevard.

According to Officer Rayner, the driver, identified as an 82-year-old female, was headed southbound on Colfax Avenue and attempting to make a right hand turn onto Ventura Boulevard. Investigating officers are still unclear as to what caused the woman to lose control.

The driver was rushed to the hospital complaining of injuries. Police say she suffered a broken bone but the injuries are not life threatening.

The accident happened Friday morning at approximately 11:30 a.m. Traffic was slowed heading eastbound on Ventura Boulevard as paramedics loaded the woman into an ambulance and responding officers stopped to take witness statements.

I have done many cases where potholes and other road conditions have caused accidents. In my work as a car accident attorney, I have seen the police make incorrect conclusions about the cause of an accident many times.

A police report is not admissible for any purpose in a personal injury trial, except to impeach an officer’s testimony.

The bottom line is that an accident reconstruction expert with solid credentials is the best person to determine the cause of a car crash.

If you or your family have been the victim of a truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Studio City or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

 Studio City Car Accident Attorney

Scene of the 40 vehicle pileup west the Yuba Gap

A huge 40 vehicle pile-up has left one man dead and several others injured, after heavy snowfalls battered the Sierra Nevada region of California.

The busy Interstate 80 was shut for several hours 70 miles north east of Sacramento while emergency services battled to clear the road after a big rig carrying highly explosive liquid Hydrogen jack-knifed.

The tanker blocked both lanes and as it turned onto its side dozens of cars and trucks ploughed into its side.

Auburn resident Douglas Swasey, in his 60s, was killed in the accident.

The truck was not damaged, officials confirmed, but had it done the hydrogen could have exploded causing even more fatalities.

Three feet of snow fell, creating hazardous conditions for drivers on mountain roads.

The crash at 1.30pm on Friday left the I-80 shut for several hours and caused massive tailbacks, with the route not opening until early this morning.

One driver told News 10 he heard the sound of metal hitting metal for five minutes after the first impact.

More than a dozen other people taken to hospitals in Sacramento and Reno with minor or moderate injuries.

Another driver, Ty Bombach who tried to help the injured told the press: ‘We found a gentleman by the liquid hydrogen truck and I checked his vitals but he was already gone.

I was surprised more people weren’t hurt because of the carnage that was there when we got there and what followed.’

Blizzards and snow up to three feet deep will hit the Sierra Nevada region falling as low as 4,000 feet and will continue over the weekend.

The storms will bring flooding rains, snow and strong winds across much of California.

Heavy rain will affect the central coast and valleys to the Southland from late tonight until Monday, which could bring possible flooding and mudslides.

Coastal regions will suffer up to three inches of rain but south and west-facing foothills and mountains could have as much as seven inches of rain.

Make sure you take it easy out there on the highways.

If you or your family has been injured anywhere in the State of California, you may contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 ext. 1, or submit your case through our website at http://www.therpersonalinjury.com

Sacramento Car and Truck Accident Attorney

A group of eight motorcycles stopped at a red light in north Phoenix were mowed down from behind by a dump truck early Thursday afternoon, killing three riders and injuring six others, at least one critically, authorities said.

The most seriously injured was an off-duty Phoenix Fire Department captain who was in very critical condition Thursday evening, said Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes.

The motorcyclists were stopped behind a pickup and a small SUV at the red light when the truck driver rammed them from behind, he said. The truck ran over the motorcyclists and continued into the small SUV in front of them, Holmes said.

There was no sign the truck driver was impaired.

Some of the motorcycles burst into flames under the dump truck, while others ended up scattered behind the truck. Television images of the crash site showed a horrifying collection of mangled chrome Harley-Davidson bikes and scattered personal belongings, including pairs of riders’ boots laying in the roadway.

“It’s a horrific scene,” Phoenix Fire Deputy Chief Frank Salomon said.

Some of the injured were airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Salomon said.

The crash occurred about 1 p.m. at the intersection of 27th Avenue and the Carefree Highway. Holmes said at least one of the victims was a woman, but most were men.

Jarrod Cook, a worker at the nearby Ketzal Mexican Grill, said he saw several motorcycles wedged underneath the garbage truck, which caught fire.

“The first thing we saw was a big puff of smoke when the truck lit on fire,” he said.
Cook said he walked over and witnessed a chaotic scene with some of the injured lying on the ground.

Dozens of police and rescue personnel responded to the crash.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs told KNXV-TV that witnesses reported seeing several of the motorcycle riders dragged 50 to 75 yards after impact. The three bikers killed were trapped under the truck, Jacobs said.

The 50-year-old driver of the truck was not injured and was being questioned by police. Those in the pickup and SUV also were not hurt.

The Carefree Highway was expected to be closed for several hours as police investigate the crash.

Although I am a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer, I ride through Arizona all of the time. As a matter of fact, I will be riding through Arizona in a couple of weeks. I am absolutely appalled by this accident.

You tell me how a truck driver could not see 8 motorcycles parked at a red light, let alone the red light itself. Absent some catastrophic equipment failure that can be proven, the truck driver in this accident needs to be taken down by the man for murder or vehicular manslaughter.

This accident is absolutely atrocious and horrible.

California Biker Attorney and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, 2010

A Metrolink commuter train hit a maintenence truck parked on a set of railroad tracks in the San Gabriel Valley on Saturday, killing a railroad worker who was sitting in the truck and leaving three train passengers with minor injuries, authorities said.

The person killed was an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad who had been doing maintenance work with a crew on freight tracks, said Metrolink spokesman Francisco Oaxaca. The area where the collision occurred is a mix of Union Pacific tracks and tracks maintained by Metrolink.

When the commuter train hit the Union Pacific Railroad maintenance truck at about 9:20 a.m., it was on Metrolink tracks, traveling east of Los Angeles along the border of the city of Industry and the unincorporated community of Bassett.

Authorities said there were many reasons why the worker would be in the area, but investigators were trying to determine why the truck was on the tracks. They do not believe it was suicide.

“There is nothing to indicate that this person intended to be struck by the train,” Oaxaca said.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Lupe Valdez said the crash “appears to be an accident.

Three Metrolink passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, said Metrolink spokeswoman Angie Starr. An engineer and conductor, two sheriff’s officials and 138 passengers were on board the train, Oaxaca said.

There was only minor damage to the train, which was led by a locomotive with another engine behind it.

Valdez said the employee has worked for Union Pacific for about 30 years. His name has not yet been released.

In recent years Metrolink has experienced several major crashes.

In December, a commuter train from the Southern California agency struck a pickup truck that drove into its path, injuring six people.

In 2008, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink train collided with a freight train. Investigators believe the Metrolink engineer ran a red light seconds after he was text messaging on his cell phone.

In 2005, 11 people died and about 180 were injured when a man who later claimed he was suicidal parked his sport utility vehicle on the tracks in suburban Glendale. The driver of the SUV was convicted of murder.

California Train Accident Attorney and Metrolink Accident Lawyer Website

California Highway Patrol officers arrived at the scene on Hale Avenue south of Kalana Avenue and determined it was unsafe to shoot the horse to put it out of its misery, according to the California Highway Patrol. They immediately called animal control and tri-county officers arrived before 8 p.m.

“Usually we do, however it was very close to a residential area,” CHP officer Jaime Rios said. “We didn’t feel that it would be safe at the time.”

He said if an animal is suffering and it’s on a freeway or in a rural area, officers will euthanize it. Rios said passengers did not see the horse once it was hit and suffering.

Rios said the bus on southbound line 68 was traveling about 40 mph when it struck the horse.

VTA spokesperson Jennie Hwang Loft said the horse ran loose from a group of horses in a pasture when it ran in front of the bus. She said the bus driver suffered minor injuries.

A VTA bus stop is located at Hale and Kalana avenues, but authorities are unsure how near it was to where the accident occurred. The roadway was closed for about 90 minutes and the bus was eventually towed away. The horse was taken away by tri-county officers. Passengers were eventually picked up by another VTA bus and taken to their destination.

No passengers reported any injuries, but the bus sustained extensive damage, according to the VTA. Rios said no drugs or alcohol were involved.

Authorities are still working to locate the owner of the horse and plan to contact neighbors today. There will not be any criminal charges filed because no passengers were injured. Rios said he can’t say if there would be any civil charges filed.

A man who drove by the incident, but did not want to be identified, said the horse was laying in the middle of the street, flopping around.

“I’ve seen a lot, but that was pretty brutal,” he said.

All animal owners in California are strictly liable for the acts of their animals. If any of the bus passengers, or the bus driver was injured in this crash, the animal owner would be liable for their injuries because they failed to contain their animal, and let it get loose.

All California animal owners must ensure that their animals are not let loose and are contained. Had the owner of the horse not let the horse get loose this potentially devastating accident woudl not have happened, and the horse would still be alive.

 Morgan Hill Bus Accident Attorney