Authorities say motorists exchanging information after a crash on the Ventura (101) Freeway in Sherman Oaks were hit by another vehicle, causing a second accident that killed three.

The fatal accident happened at about 2:10 a.m. Sunday on the freeway near the Coldwater Canyon Avenue exit, CHP Officer Anthony Martin said.

The California Highway Patrol says three people had been involved in a prior accident and had stepped out of their vehicles to exchange information when they were struck by another vehicle. Three other people were injured.

The identities of the deceased were withheld pending notification of next of kin.

How much do you want to bet that the person or persons who hit and killed the persons on the side of the road exchanging information were drunk or under the influence of drugs and alcohol?

Sheman Oaks, Calfornia Car Accident Attorney Website

Related posts

• California Highway Patrol: Is Your Car Ready For Severe Weather? (0)
• The Victim of head on car crash in Southern California mourned. (0)
• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)

Relatives of a California state trooper and three family members whose fatal car wreck helped spark Toyota’s wide-ranging safety recall have sued the automaker for defects they say caused the vehicle to speed out of control and crash.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, was the latest in a wave of product-liability cases and other legal action brought against Toyota Motor Corp over complaints of sudden, unintended acceleration in its vehicles.

But the fiery August 28 crash near San Diego of a Lexus ES 350 sedan driven by off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor drew intense media attention and renewed government scrutiny of safety problems that led to the recall of some 8.5 million Toyota vehicles worldwide.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, extended his condolences to the Saylor family in an apology he delivered to a congressional hearing last week.

Saylor was driving his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and his brother-in-law on a family outing when their car “began to accelerate on its own” and sped out of control despite Saylor’s attempts “to apply the brakes and otherwise do everything possible to stop” the car, the lawsuit says.

The car reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour before it struck another vehicle, plowed through a fence, hit a berm and flew through the air, then rolled several times into a field and burst into flames.

The family’s final moments before impact were captured in the recording of a frantic 911-emergency cell phone call placed by Saylor’s brother-in-law, Christopher Lastrella, in which he is heard telling the dispatcher, “Our accelerator is stuck … We’re in trouble … there is no brakes.”

Others in the car are heard saying, “hold on” and “pray” as the call ended, the lawsuit said.

The suit names Toyota, its U.S. division and other corporate entities as defendants, along with the Lexus dealership where Saylor was given the doomed car as a “loaner vehicle” while his own Lexus was being serviced.

Although the suit makes no specific allegations as to the root cause of the unintended acceleration, it says the car in question “was defective when it left the control of each defendant” and that “adequate warnings of the danger were not given.” The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages on behalf of the parents of Saylor and his wife.

Toyota officials have said they do not comment on pending litigation.

San Diego County Sheriff’s investigators concluded the crash likely was caused by the gas pedal becoming stuck in an all-weather rubber floor mat designed for a larger vehicle but placed by the Lexus dealership in the sedan loaned to Saylor.

But the accident report said “other avenues of unintended acceleration could not be explored,” mechanical or electrical, due to catastrophic damage to the vehicle.

The report also revealed that another driver who had been loaned the same car a few days earlier told investigators the vehicle raced out of control on him when the gas pedal jammed in the floor mat, which he managed to free after placing the gear shift into neutral.

He complained to a dealership receptionist when he returned the car, the receptionist told investigators she alerted the detail specialist on duty, but the detailer claimed never to have received such a complaint, the report said.

Toyota has recalled more than 5 million vehicles in the United States for slipping floor mats. Another 2.2 million U.S. recall notices were issued for sticking accelerator pedals.

The Transportation Department has said that complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles are linked with more than 50 U.S. crash deaths under investigation over the past decade.

If you or your family have been the victim of a car crash in a Toyota due to sudden acceleration or other product defect anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

Toyota Product Defect Attorney

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Law Firm Profile (0)
• The Victim of head on car crash in Southern California mourned. (0)
• Oxnard California Driver arrested in Bicyclist’s Death. (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)

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

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Toyota sued over deaths in horrendous California crash (1)
• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)
• CHP Cruiser hits Pickup Truck in Santa Rosa, California; Driver Critically Injured. (1)
• Head-on car crash on I-8 traps two in Southern California (0)

The California Highway Patrol says 12 people have died in accidents statewide over the Christmas holiday weekend, one more than in 2008.

Of the 10 vehicle occupants who died in the CHP’s jurisdiction between Christmas Eve and noon Saturday, half weren’t wearing seat belts. A motorcycle rider also died, the CHP says. The twelfth victim was handled by local law enforcement officials.

Last year, 11 people died statewide in Christmas holiday accidents.

The highway patrol says drunken driving arrests are up, from 409 in 2008 to 549 this year.

The holiday weekend continues through Sunday night.

California Traffic Accident Attorney Website

Related posts

• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• Law Firm Profile (0)
• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• The Victim of head on car crash in Southern California mourned. (0)
• Toyota sued over deaths in horrendous California crash (1)

The incident occurred in the 6100 block of Lake Isabella Blvd., in Lake Isabella, near West America Bank to the east and Shady Lane Saloon to the west. The stretch of roadway is not particularly well lit.

Witnesses said the victim, known to most as “Kelly”, was a disabled veteran frequently seen in the area. First responders administered CPR to Kelly, who was unconscious in the roadway, prior to his being transported by ground ambulance to Kern Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information that will assist authorities in locating Kelly’s next of kin is asked to contact the Coroner’s Office at 661-868-0100.

If you or your family have suffered from a pedestrian accident or wrongful death anywhere in the State of California, you may call our law firm a free consultation 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

Kern County Pedestrian Accident Attorney and Kern County Wrongful Death Attorney

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• Law Firm Profile (0)
• Tort Reform is a big Scam; Why Tort Reform will Hurt You and take away more of Your Freedom! (0)

Instead, people should pull over in a safe place and call the CHP for help, said spokeswoman Officer Lizz Dutton.

“You never want to be running out in the freeway,” she said. “Ever.”

About 6 a.m. Saturday, a woman died after being struck multiple times by cars as she tried to retrieve a box of hooded sweat shirts that had fallen from the pickup truck she was riding in, Dutton said.

She and a friend, who was driving, apparently were on their way to sell the sweat shirts, possibly at an open air market, Dutton said.

At least one box came loose from the secured load and spilled onto eastbound Capital City Freeway just west of Watt Avenue. The driver pulled over, and the woman ran out into the slow lane when an approaching vehicle struck her.

The driver of that car saw her and tried to brake, but was unable to avoid the woman, Dutton said. Upon impact, the woman was thrown into the next lane, where she was again hit by vehicles. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Tuesday, the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office was still trying to identify the woman.

Dutton said alcohol and drugs do not appear to be involved in the incident. Instead, it appears to be an unfortunate accident resulting from unsafe actions, she said.

The woman was wearing dark clothes at the time of the accident, it was still dark outside, and, Dutton said, “pedestrians don’t belong in the roadway.”

California Pedestrian Accident Attorney Website

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• Oxnard California Driver arrested in Bicyclist’s Death. (0)
• CHP Cruiser hits Pickup Truck in Santa Rosa, California; Driver Critically Injured. (1)
• Three Whittier California children killed in morning crash on the 5 Freeway (1)

New signs advising motorists of the 40 mph speed limit on the S-curve, reflective striping and radar boards flashing drivers’ speeds are among the changes in store in the aftermath of the crash, Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said at a news conference Monday.

There have been at least 43 accidents in the curved area since it opened Sept. 8 as part of the eastern span replacement project, but the truck plunge was the first in which someone died.

The California Highway Patrol said the primary factors in the accident were the driver’s speed and the shifting weight of his cargo, not any problems with the S-curve’s design.

10 mph over limit

The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. as the big rig, loaded with pears, was traveling on the westbound upper deck at about 50 mph – 1o mph over the speed limit in that zone – said CHP Sgt. Trent Cross.
The truck tipped over the 3-foot-high concrete rail on the northern side of the S-curve and plummeted onto Yerba Buena Island, landing on its wheels and disintegrating into countless pieces. Security guards who were first on the scene said it was clear that the driver, a 56-year-old Hayward man whose name has not been released, died instantly.
The driver was an independent operator who bought the big rig several months ago, authorities said. For the past eight months, he had been a subcontractor for JM&R Trucking in Oakland.
“He was a good person, a prompt person, always on time,” said Mike Russell, the firm’s owner. “He was a safe driver, absolutely.”
Investigators suspect that the driver’s load of pears shifted as the rig hit the S-curve, something that could have helped propel the truck over the side of the span.

Weeks-long probe

Caltrans inspected the bridge and reopened the far-right lane to traffic at 7:45 a.m.

About 15 CHP investigators were collecting evidence on Yerba Buena for a probe that is expected to take weeks. Overhead, a mattress, apparently from the truck’s cab, could be seen balancing on the bridge railing.

Cross said CHP officials believe the S-curve is safe. “We don’t believe it’s a design flaw,” he said. “There’s nothing tricky or complicated about the curve. I can stand here with confidence and say that if you drive the posted speed limit, you will make it through the curve safely, just as thousands of drivers do every day.”

Cross said there was no video from security or traffic cameras on the bridge that captured the crash.

On Oct. 14, a Safeway big rig truck flopped across four lanes when it hit the S-curve, tying up westbound traffic for hours. The driver was unfamiliar with the new turn and was going too fast, the CHP said.

Tough adjustment

Some drivers have had difficulty adjusting to the 40 mph limit on the S-curve, a 10 mph decrease from the rest of the span. The increase in accidents and drivers’ complaints had already led Caltrans and the CHP to install new signs and flashing lights.

The CHP has ordered radar units, the electronic boards that flash the speed of an approaching car, but it is unclear when they will be installed.

Today, crews will begin adding 6-inch-wide reflective strips on the barriers on either side of the S-curve on both decks, Ney said.

At some point, crews also will install a large overhead sign warning westbound motorists of the 40-mph zone ahead, Ney said. That sign, which will be accompanied by flashing lights, will be placed near the top of the incline on the upper deck, Ney said.

Hours after the accident Monday, Caltrans began posting warnings on electronic message boards on Bay Bridge approaches warning truck drivers to slow to 35 mph at the curve, an advisory speed limit. The legal limit remains 40 mph.

Caltrans has considered installing “rumble strips” – rows of traffic dots extending across the roadway – in the area of the S-curve, but has no immediate plans to do so, Ney said.

Steps taken

The agency has already made several changes in hopes of getting drivers to slow down. Last week, crews painted solid white lines to discourage lane changes and added raised pavement markers – some traffic dots and some reflectors – to jar drivers moving to one side or the other. It also added a large overhead warning sign on the eastbound approach to the S-curve.

The CHP said the majority of S-curve crashes have been fender benders. The crashes have been split relatively evenly between the upper and lower decks and have occurred mostly during noncommute hours, when traffic typically moves faster, officials said.

“From day one since we had this S-curve open, we’ve tried to instill in the motoring public that you really have to watch your speed in this area,” Cross said. “Speed has always been a factor in every traffic collision that has occurred in this S-curve.”

San Francisco and Oakland California Truck Accident Attorney Website

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)
• Law Firm Profile (0)
• Toyota sued over deaths in horrendous California crash (1)

The accident happened at about 2:53 p.m. on Highway 46 just east of Wildwood Road. That’s between Wasco and Interstate 5, not far from Wasco State Prison and the Wasco Valley Rose golf course.

California Highway Patrol officer Robert Rodriguez said a small Toyota was attempting to pass another car on the two-lane road. When the driver of the passing car realized he didn’t have enough room, he tried to get back into his lane, but lost control.

The Toyota slammed head-on into a Dodge Ram pickup, Rodriguez said.

All three people in the Toyota were killed instantly, he said. The driver of the pickup was taken to Kern Medical Center with moderate injuries.

On Friday, one car passing two trucks slammed head-on into another car, killing two people in each.

Highway 46 is sometimes known as “Blood Alley” because there have been so many accidents. It is two-lanes in most places between Highway 99 and Paso Robles.

California Wrongful Death Lawyer and Bakersfield Car Accident Attorney Website

Related posts

• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)
• Santa Maria Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident (0)
• Oxnard California Driver arrested in Bicyclist’s Death. (0)
• Man killed, Six Injured in Truck Accident outside Salinas, California. (0)
• CHP Cruiser hits Pickup Truck in Santa Rosa, California; Driver Critically Injured. (1)

The California Highway Patrol said 62-year-old Shirlene Soto and her husband, 84-year-old Walter Elliott, were among the four people who died in a car crash on Highway 46 east of Highway 33 Friday morning.

The CHP said a man driving a Chevy on the eastbound lane tried to pass a tractor trailer, when he collided head-on with the vehicle Soto and Elliott were riding in.

They say Soto and Elliott died on impact. The 25-year-old man driving the Chevy, and his one-year-old passenger were also killed on impact. Another passenger in the Chevy suffered major injuries.

Family members said Soto and Elliott were both former Cal Poly professors. Soto later worked for California State University Northridge, and Elliott worked for Rocketdyne.

A family member released a statement: “They were both extremely cheerful, energetic people who loved life, friends, and family.”

Kern County Wrongful Death Attorney and Car Accident Attorney

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Santa Maria Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident (0)
• The Victim of head on car crash in Southern California mourned. (0)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• CHP Cruiser hits Pickup Truck in Santa Rosa, California; Driver Critically Injured. (1)

The CHP says she was a health technician at Santa Maria High School.

The accident happened on Northbound Highway 101, near the Santa Maria River Bridge, just after 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The CHP said four motorcycles were traveling Northbound, when a pickup truck pulling a trailer, began to merge onto the highway.

Simmons was a passenger, and was riding with her husband, 52-year-old Ben Simmons.

The CHP said he tried to pass the pickup truck, but lost control as traffic began to also slow down.

Simmons was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Ben was also taken to the hospital, and was treated for minor injuries.

Investigators say it was just an unfortunate accident. They were going the speed limit, and both were wearing their helmets.

“I went to run out to see if I could help and I saw her lying there,” said J.P Weddle, who witnessed the accident. “And I realized there’s nothing I could do other than just to try to get an ambulance out here,” said Weddle.

Ben Ruth, with the California Highway Patrol, said “Everyone needs to be reminded that they need to give themselves a safe space cushion in between vehicles, so that if another vehicle reacts to something, that person is able to come to a stop.”

The CHP closed down the highway for about half an hour.

Santa Maria Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Wrongful Death Lawyer

Related posts

• Three killed in another accident on Highway 46 North of Bakersfield, California. (0)
• Los Osos California couple dies in car accident in Kern County California (0)
• CHP Cruiser hits Pickup Truck in Santa Rosa, California; Driver Critically Injured. (1)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Highway 1 crash in San Luis Obispo (0)
• The Victim of head on car crash in Southern California mourned. (0)