Scene of horrific Greyound Bus Accident

FRESNO, Calif. — A Greyhound bus carrying 47 people and traveling to Sacramento from Los Angeles crashed on a highway in California’s Central Valley on Thursday, killing six and injuring many others.

California Highway Patrol Officer Michelle Sigmond said the bus driver swerved to try to avoid another crash involving an overturned SUV and slammed into a concrete center divider and then struck another vehicle shortly after 2 a.m. just outside downtown Fresno. The bus went down an embankment, hit a eucalyptus tree and came to rest on a freeway off-ramp with its front end smashed and tree branches jutting into the vehicle.

Twisted pieces of metal, broken glass and torn clothing littered the ground around the accident scene.

Arlen Snider, who had been traveling from Phoenix to Sacramento to visit his mother, said he was asleep in the middle section of the bus when the crash occurred. She awoke to the smell of smoke and injured passengers all around her.

“I woke up on the floor of the bus and started helping people off the bus,” Snider, who escaped uninjured, said after arriving in Sacramento’s bus terminal Thursday morning.

In addition to the six dead – four women and two men, including the driver – several people were hurt with injuries that ranged from critical to bruises and cuts, said CHP Officer Kirk Arnold.

It’s unclear if all of the fatalities were on the bus.

“I had just woke up and I heard a boom once, and a boom again and the next thing I know we were down this embankment,” Linda Gee, a passenger on the bus, told KMPH-TV in Fresno.

“I’m alive and I thank god I’m alive,” she said. “There was just bleeding everywhere.”

The bus departed Los Angeles late Wednesday and stopped in Fresno before continuing on its route to Sacramento. It was on its way to Madera for one of about eight scheduled stops when the crash occurred, according to Greyhound spokeswoman Bonnie Bastian.

A relief bus was sent to take nine passengers who wanted to continue on to their destinations.

Northbound lanes of Highway 99, a major route through the San Joaquin Valley, have been closed since the crash.

Fresno Bus Accident Attorney 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

He was identified by the Medical Examiner’s Office Saturday as David Norman Reid, who lived with his wife and family in Spring Valley, California.

Reid was driving a Dodge Caravan east on state Route 94 about a mile west of the school when the driver of a Ford Mustang crossed over the double-yellow line and collided with him head-on, the California Highway Patrol said.

Reid’s 17-year-old son, who was in the passenger seat, suffered serious injuries and underwent surgery Saturday, said the school’s assistant principal, Jeff Kover.

The driver of the Mustang, former student Andrew Bellatti, 18, and his 16-year-old female passenger, a current student, also were injured. They were reportedly released from the hospital Saturday.

It was unknown why Bellatti had crossed into oncoming traffic, but investigators said speed was a factor.

The speedometer on the Mustang was frozen at about 80 mph, said CHP Officer Brian Pennings. He said there was no indication that Bellatti had been racing, or that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.

The road was wet, but it was not raining at the time, he said.

Reid’s son followed in his older sister’s footsteps by joining the charter high school’s drama club, and their parents became well-known volunteers over the past several years.

Reid did everything from building sets and chaperoning to serving at concession stands during plays.
“He’s easily one of the nicest guys you could meet. He always had a good joke or story,” Kover said. “He was there any time we had an event going on, a production or a show. They were always helping out.”

High school records show that Bellatti, who graduated last year, was a pitcher and first-baseman on Steele Canyon’s baseball team. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays after turning down a scholarship offer to Cal State Fullerton.

Last summer, Bellatti pitched for Tampa Bay’s rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. Professional baseball’s spring training begins next month.

It would appear from the basic facts of this case that the driver of the Mustang was speeding way over the speed limit when he crossed into oncoming traffic and is most probably responsible for the wrongful death of David Norman Reid. We at the California Personal Injury Lawyer Blog send our prayers and condolences to his family.

If you or your family has suffered through the wrongful death of a loved one, you may call our office for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyer and San Diego Wrongful Death Attorney Website

A truck headed south on Road 168 didn’t have enough time to stop and collided with Silva’s vehicle.

Silva died at the scene along with his mother, Maria Covarrubias, and José’s seven-year old sister Elizabeth Silva.

Both daughter and mother were ejected from the vehicle. Another passenger suffered major injuries. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries.

“Devastated…I know the mother and her two sons and daughter very well so it’s quite traumatic,” said school superintendent Dr. Donereia Bradley.

Bradley has been close with the family for years.

She says both kids were good in school and never missed a day.

Bradley along with others can’t understand why the boy was driving.

“I would have never thought that would have been the case. I’m stunned. I have no words,” said Bradley. “I was in shock. I was like how did it happen?”

Veronica Rodriguez drove to the family’s home after she heard about the accident.

She says the 30-year-old mother leaves behind a 12-year-old son who stayed home last night.

Why would a mother allow her 11 year old son to drive? Under no circumstances whatsoever should you ever allow an 11 year old to operate a car or truck.

Woodville California Car Accident Attorney

Remember you are deemed to know the law; ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating it.

AB 9 (J. Perez) – Political Reform Act: FPPC – this law clarifies what constitutes improper campaign activity by a local government or agency during an election for a candidate or initiative.

AB 14 A motor vehicle can be declared be a public nuisance and impounded for up to 30 days when the motor vehicle is used in the commission of specified crimes related to prostitution.

AB 58 Now an Infraction to participate in a betting pool with less than $2,500 at stake.

AB 91 New “Ignition Interlock Device” Law requires first-time DUI offenders to install a device in their vehicles in a test program in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare counties.

AB 144 (Ma) – Last year in San Francisco, law enforcement confiscated over 1,000 illegal disabled placards. The widespread abuse has not only taken away parking opportunities for people who really need them, but has also exacerbated the difficult parking environment in San Francisco. The current penalty is a $100 fine.

AB 144 not only increases the fine for fraudulent use to $1,000, but also gives parking control officers the ability to cite violators. Currently, only police officers have the ability to cite violators in many instances.

AB 166 (Lieu) – Creates a cost-effective solution to deal with the growing number of abandoned boats in California’s waterways. The bill will establish a vessel turn-in program that permits boat owners to transfer ownership of their dilapidated vessels before they become an environmental hazard.

AB 171 (Jones) – Establishes basic consumer protection standards governing credit cards and loan products that are arranged in dental offices. The law is designed to protect elderly, low-income or limited-English-speaking dental patients who unwittingly signed credit card applications. The new law prohibits arranging credit while patients are under anesthesia, requires notice in the patient’s primary language, and requires refunds if dental services have not been provided within 15 days.

AB 232 (Hill) – Allows the California State Teachers Retirement System to implement technology improvements such as switching from paper transactions with customers to online and e-mail transactions. The changes will reduce environmental impacts and save the state about $1 million annually.

AB 242 (Nava) – Strengthens penalties for spectatorship at a dogfight in California.

AB 260 (Lieu) – Will bring trust and security back to the state’s mortgage market, protect borrowers from the most abusive lending practices that caused the home foreclosure crisis, and reassure the secondary market that loans bought in California are sound.

AB 262 (Bass) – Makes the technical and administrative changes necessary to ensure that $113M in federal economic stimulus energy funding (i.e. local energy efficiency grants and state energy program monies) will be allocated in the most efficient and effective manner.

AB 303 (Beall) – Hospital Seismic Safety Financing; allows designated hospitals to meet state deadlines for earthquake safety improvements. The bill permits the hospitals to leverage local funds in order to draw down federal money to pay for seismic safety facility upgrades.

AB 305 (Nava) – Allows prosecutors to seek jail sentences for polluters who knowingly make a false or misleading report about an offshore oil spill. AB 305 also extends the statute of limitations for violations of Hazardous Material Release Response Plans and Inventory related violations from 1 to 5 years to bring it into accordance with other hazardous material and hazardous waste laws in the same Division of the Health and Safety Code.

AB 329 (Feuer) – Reverse Mortgage Elder Protection Act – a bi-partisan measure that will protect the growing number of senior citizens who are considering a reverse mortgage. This bill would amend California reverse mortgage law to strengthen existing counseling and cross-selling provisions and would provide the borrower with a checklist prior to counseling that highlights the risks and alternatives to reverse mortgages.

AB 343 (Saldana) – Allows California to enter into a compact with 26 other states to ease coordination of interstate school transfers and to remove some of the barriers to academic success military children face due to frequent relocation of active-duty parents. An interstate commission, in coordination with state education officials, will monitor implementation of the compact, address emerging issues, and reconcile disputes between states.

AB 359 (Nava) – Requires digital mammography screening to be covered under the “Every Woman Counts” (EWC) Cancer Detection Program administered by the California Department of Public Health when analog mammography is not available.

AB 370 (Eng) – Would ensure that a victim of contractor fraud is eligible to obtain restitution for economic loss caused by that contractor. Further, this bill increases the maximum potential fine for a first offense from $1,000 to $5,000. For a second and subsequent offense, this measure increases the current mandatory fine from $4,500 up to $5,000. Third offenders will also be required to serve a mandatory jail sentence (as is currently required of second offenders.). Finally, this measure would apply the mandatory minimum fine to repeat offenders who enter into a contract with the victim, or take money from the victim, but do not perform any of the contracting work.

AB 457 (Monning) – Requires claimants intending to file mechanic’s liens to notify homeowners that a mechanic’s lien is being recorded against their property. Specifically, the bill amends the 20-Day Preliminary Notice to make it more prominent and easier to read ,and enacts a requirement that property owners be served with a Notice of Mechanic’s Lien that provides information on how to deal with a mechanic’s lien, along with a copy of the actual lien that will be filed.

AB 474 (Blumenfield) – California is in its third straight year of drought. This creative bill will harness market forces by increasing water conservation by residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial property owners by authorizing cities, counties, water districts and municipal utilities to offer up-front financing to property owners who wish to install water conservation systems. It is a rare bill supported by the Sierra Club and the Chamber of Commerce.

AB 494 (Caballero) – Allows farmers who wish to build housing for farm workers on land zoned for agriculture, to change the zoning, and be able to build housing while retaining the agricultural integrity of the property.

AB 524 (Bass) – To curtail the potentially harmful situations and other problems created by out of control paparazzi, AB 524 extends the “invasion of privacy” laws to persons that purchase, publish, and print images or recordings of individuals, if these persons knew that the images or recordings were obtained illegally.

AB 530 (Krekorian) – This measure continues to provide local law enforcement an important tool in freeing our neighborhoods of violent drug and gang activity. AB 530 reauthorizes two pilot programs allowing city attorneys and prosecutors in participating cities (Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Palmdale, Sacramento, and San Diego) to bring eviction proceedings in the name of the people against a tenant for unlawful activities regarding controlled substances, firearms, and ammunition. This statute assists landlords who are intimidated from bringing eviction proceedings against tenants engaged in drug-related crimes and illegal possession of weapons or ammunition on the premises. This measure also protects other tenants living in the same apartment complex or the neighborhood who have been forced to tolerate criminal behavior or move away from their homes.

AB 532 (Lieu) – Will protect victims of domestic violence, their families and our communities from potential gun-related danger. The bill will allow law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant to seize firearms or deadly weapons that remain inside a house after a domestic violence or mental health incident.

SB 598 will give a repeat DUI offender the opportunity to apply for a restricted driver license with an ignition interlock device placed on their vehicle.

AB 626 (Eng) – Required that no less than 10% of the $139 million appropriated from prop 84 for IRWMP to fund projects that provide direct benefits to disadvantaged communities. However, there was some confusion in the Department of Water Resources on whether they can award the entire 10 percent for disadvantaged communities across every hydrological region. Disadvantaged communities around the state struggle to meet basic water related public health functions including supplying safe drinking water to their communities and maintaining basic wastewater infrastructure. AB 626 makes it clear that disadvantaged communities in each region of the state receive this minimum investment.

AB 636 (Jones) – Increases penalties for charter bus companies and drivers for failure to comply with safety and licensing regulations. Introduced after last year’s tragic Colusa bus crash that took the lives of several residents of Jones’ Sacramento district, the new law permanently rescinds the operating permit of a bus company if it is found operating without a permit or on a suspended license, knowingly hires an unlicensed bus driver, or fails to register its buses with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The law also suspends unlicensed bus drivers for a period of 5 years.

AB 637 (Hill) – Requires the California Public Employees’ Retirement System contracting agencies to use Electronic Funds Transfer for payments which will reduce paper transactions and lead to cost savings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

AB 647 (Yamada) – Requires California’s Department of Motor Vehicles to comply with federal law and allow consumer access to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). Established under the Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992, NMVTIS is an electronic vehicle-history database maintained by the Department of Justice that enables states, law enforcement agencies, and consumers to verify and exchange auto titling, theft and brand data.

AB 669 (Fong) – Removes barriers for foster youth to attend California community colleges. Specifically, the bill gives current and former foster your residency status, in order to avoid paying higher tuition fees.

AB 671 (Krekorian) – The California Golden Shield Act, establishes an official California State honorific that pays tribute to our peace officers, firefighters and other public safety officers who sacrifice their lives for the safety of Californians. This statute requires that the Governor present the California Golden Shield, on behalf of the State of California, to the families of the fallen public safety officers killed in the line of duty.

AB 672 (Bass) – Allows local transportation agencies with approved Prop 1B projects to expend their own funds to move the projects along and be eligible to be reimbursed from Prop 1B bond funds.

AB 688 (Eng) – Seeks to protect victims of domestic violence from re-victimization by clarifying that a person charged with a misdemeanor domestic violence may not be released on their own recognizance until they first appear before a judge or commissioner. Currently, there are discrepancies in state law that potentially allow for the release of a person charged without ever appearing before a judge or commissioner. If this bill is vetoed, the existing inconsistencies in state law will continue to endanger people’s lives by potentially permitting some perpetrators to go back into the community without the proper screening of a judge or commissioner.

AB 708 (Huffman) – The illegal poaching of fish and wildlife poses a serious threat to California’s wildlife species and biodiversity. Poaching cases are on the rise and California is particularly impacted because the current fines and penalties have proved insufficient to serve as an effective deterrent. AB 708 will establish minimum mandatory fines and increased revenue to local prosecutors to prosecute the egregious poaching of fish and wildlife in order to provide a serious deterrent to this illegal activity.

AB 719 (Lowenthal) – Provides one year of federally-funded food stamps to foster children who “age-out” of the system at 18. In addition to providing needed benefits to these at-risk youth, the program will also bring federal funds to give needed economic stimulus effect at the local and state level: Every $10 in new Food Stamp benefits generates $18.40 in economic activity, which results in more funds to the state General Fund.

SB 748 would provide that no person, state or local public agency, or private entity shall post the home address, the telephone number, or personal identifying information that discloses the location of any witness or witness family member participating in the Witness Relocation and Assistance Program (WRAP) with the intent that another person imminently use that information to commit a crime involving violence or a threat of violence against that witness or witness’ family member.

AB 750 (Bass) – Provides Superior Courts the ability to operate deferred entry of judgment (DEJ) reentry programs in lieu of jail time for low-level, non-violent offenders. AB 750 is modeled after a program ” Back on Track” developed by the City of San Francisco. The year-long program requires participation in workforce training, educational training, drug counseling, and has a proven track record of reducing recidivism among its participation.

AB 758 (Bass/Skinner) – Establishes a comprehensive statewide program to improve the energy efficiency of the state’s existing residential and commercial building stock. Such a program will include energy audits, financing options, public outreach efforts, and workforce training. AB 758 will produce a significant return on investment — reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing energy consumption.

AB 856 (Caballero) – Protects consumers who buy organic produce from California, and protects the integrity of California’s organic farmers by increasing the authority of the California Department of Agriculture to regulate manufactures of organic fertilizers.

AB 890 (J. Perez) – City of Maywood Safe Drinking Water Act — this law directs the water providers within the City of Maywood to develop an action plan to improve the water delivery infrastructure and reduce contaminant levels in the water, and includes several provisions to force the water providers to operate with more transparency and responsiveness to community concerns about the water quality.

AB 906 (Hill) – Helps local governments take advantage of existing energy efficiency programs without violating state laws that prohibit economic conflicts of interest. (Effective upon signature by Governor)

AB 951 (Lieu) – Increases penalties on negligent and unscrupulous charter bus companies that jeopardize passengers’ lives by violating safety standards. This bill was introduced in response to a tragic bus crash that occurred last year in Colusa which killed 11 and injured 40 passengers.

AB 952 (Krekorian) – This new statute allows Taft-Hartley trusts (health plans governed by the federal Department of Labor) to administer benefits for their enrollees in an efficient manner. AB 952 seeks to provide a remedy for Taft-Hartley plan administrators and allow them to work better in California. A new provision will be made in the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act to allow protected health information necessary for the administration of health benefits for Taft-Hartley enrollees, while maintaining the more rigorous privacy benefits provided by California law.

AB 962 requires gun sellers to record sales of ammunition, and requires the fingerprinting and identification of the purchaser.

AB 975 (Fong) – Encourages water conservation by requiring private water corporations to install water meters.

AB 992 (Lieu) – Addresses a spike in property tax reassessment scams resulting from the rapid decline of housing prices over the past few years. The bill prohibits the collection of advance or late fees for property tax reduction services and requires written authorization from the property owner before any reassessment requests are filed.

AB 1031 (Blumenfield) – California colleges have suffered severe budget cuts and must reduce their costs. Yet they cannot get credit on their utility bills for renewable energy they generate, unless the electricity is used in the same structure where it is generated. This bill requires utility companies to give credit to state colleges and universities for all power they generate on campus.

AB 1070 (Hill) – Increases the Medical Board of California’s ability to protect health care consumers by clarifying their ability to enforce proper reporting, licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons.

AB 1083 (J. Perez) – Health Facilities: Security Plans – this law requires hospitals to annually review and update the security and safety plans to help ensure patients and workers do not become victims of violence.

AB 1093 (Yamada) – “Taneka’s Law” clarifies that a workers’ comp claim can not be denied based solely on a personal characteristic of the victim and a third party’s hatred of that characteristic such as race, religion, or gender.

AB 1130 (Solorio) – This bill revises the school accountability system to include a growth measurement of the academic performance index (API) that increases the validity and accuracy of academic progress of the same students over time, an important step toward comprehensive academic achievement measures.

AB 1160 (Fong) – Protects non-English speaking consumers from mortgage fraud by requiring mortgage lenders to provide a written translated summary of the mortgage contract.

AB 1196 (Blumenfield) – California is expected to receive more than $50 billion in federal stimulus funds in the next 2 years, 7% of which is predicted to be lost to fraud by government contractors. This legislation will strengthen and expand the “false claims” law, which enables private citizens to report intentional fraud by a contractor, and if the claim is true, reap a significant portion of the damages awarded by a court. Without Bob’s bill, billions of state dollars would not be protected by against fraud, including CalPERS, CalSTRS, UC funds and government subcontractors.

AB 1217 (Monning) – Requires the Ocean Protection Council to develop and implement a voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program.

AB 1319 (Krekorian) – A comprehensive consumer protection bill to stop abusive and deceptive practices in the entertainment, talent, and modeling industries that sets guidelines under which legitimate businesses can operate, alerting consumers to dishonest business practices and by providing law enforcement with the tools necessary for investigation and prosecution. AB 1319 does not affect legitimate talent agents or talent managers who earn money strictly through commissions and do not charge their clients advance fees. This new law ensures that talent listing services are providing accurate information to clients, requires that talent services maintain records and supporting proof and documentation and updates and revises consumer protection statutes created a decade ago. This law is strongly supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement, labor, industry leaders, and consumer protection organizations.

AB 1390 (Blumenfield) – Keeping children safe at school must be a top priority. Nationwide, 357,000 students are expelled or suspended for gun and other incidents annually. Many of these events are not reported to local law enforcement, depriving police of information that helps them track gang violence and take preventive action. This bill will close this loophole by requiring school personnel to report serious campus crimes to local police.

AB 1398 (Blumenfield) – California is the birthplace of the high tech industry, yet current law still contains a prohibition on school districts’ spending funds to purchase digital textbooks. This bill will remove this prohibition. This prohibition has meant that students have unnecessary back strain and health issues, that many students have access to only old and out of date textbooks and almost all students are missing out on the learning potential of interactive learning made possible in today’s information age.

AB 1422 (Bass) – Due to the state’s fiscal crisis, and the resulting General Fund reductions, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) requires approximately $196M to support the Healthy Families program. AB 1422 extends the 2.35% gross premiums tax to Medi-Cal managed care plans until January 1, 2011. Extension of this tax will generate approximately $157M, which in turn will generate approximately $97M in additional federal matching funds for the Healthy Families Program. AB 1422 ensures the solvency of the Healthy Families program and that it will not have to disenroll almost 600,000 children. (Effective upon signature by Governor)

AB 1465 (Hill) – Helps California meet its drought and water shortage challenges by ensuring that urban water suppliers that are members of the California Urban Water Conservation Council are in compliance with the Urban Water Management Planning Act.

AB 1494 (Eng) – This bill strengthens the state’s open government meeting laws by preventing a member of a state board or agency from holding individual meetings with a majority of members behind close doors to work out an agreement on an agenda issue before that board or agency.

California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez

A 42-year-old woman from La Mesa was crushed to death by a bus while riding on the back of a motorcycle on a steep, winding grade just northeast of the Tecate border crossing with Mexico on the California side in Tecate, California.

Debra Louise Allen, 42, of La Mesa, was on the back of a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle at about 10 a.m. Saturday when the crash occurred on Highway 94 just east of the Tecate junction, according to a report by the medical examiner.

The motorcycle was passing the bus on the winding hill and hit it while moving back into the lane, said a California Highway Patrol dispatcher.

Allen was run over and crushed, and the driver of the motorcycle was pushed to the side of the road. His name was withheld, and the CHP did not have the extent of the driver’s injuries.

The bus was operated by a private charter company and was transporting people detained by federal immigration agents. The bus driver told CHP officers the motorcycle’s driver had cut him off.

California Motorcycle Rider, and Passenger, Accident and Wrongful Death Attorney and Lawyer

The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened shortly before 7a.m. about a mile north of Hartnell Road.

Juan DeLeon Alcantar, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene after a Chevrolet Silverado stuck his Toyota Camry, the CHP said.

The driver of the Silverado, Jose Tinoco, 68, of San Luis, Ariz., was driving north on Alisal Road when the truck crossed over the double yellow lines, officers said. The truck sideswiped a Honda Accord traveling south and continued, colliding head-on with the Toyota.

Two of Alcantar’s passengers, Jose Ricardo DeLeon, 33, and Guadalupe Montoya, 33, suffered major injuries and were taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, the CHP said. A third passenger, Javier Escobar, 38, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Natividad Medical Center.

All of the men in the Toyota are from Salinas, and Monterey County coroner’s officials said the men were headed to Chualar to work in the lettuce fields.

Tinoco suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to Natividad Medical Center.

The driver of the Honda, Yesenia Flores, 21, of Salinas, suffered minor injuries when her car skidded out of control and went into a drainage ditch, the CHP said. She was also taken to Natividad.

A passenger in Flores’ car, Juana Robles, 20, of Salinas, was taken to

Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, but CHP officers did not say if she was injured.
The CHP said there was fog at the time of the crash but the cause of the collision is under investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the CHP Salinas office at 796-2100.

Salinas California Truck Accident and Car Accident Attorney Website