Antelope Valley Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents

Two Fatal Accidents in Santa Clarita Over Weekend

Rick Patterson — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:25:25 GMT

According to California Highway Patrol, two men were killed in two separate car crashes in the Santa Clarita Valley late Friday and early Saturday.

On Saturday at 3:50 a.m., 55-year-old Robert Doyle, of Saugus, allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and veered his 2003 Ford into the northbound lane of Bouquet Canyon Road just north of Shadow Valley Lane.

Doyle’s Ford collided with another Ford killing the driver, Douglas Albert Rawson, also of Saugus, according to Lt. Brian Elias of Los Angeles County Coroner’s Department. Rawson was not wearing a seatbelt.

No arrest was made and an investigation was ongoing, said CHP Sgt. Rob Lund.

On Friday evening, two hikers discovered an upside down van near Lake Hughes Road and flagged down a passing driver, who called 911, Highway Patrol officials said.

L.A. County Fire rescue units responded and found the body of Francisco Diaz, 63, of South Gate, who had been partially ejected from his car. Diaz was not wearing a seatbelt, the CHP reported.

Diaz had been traveling westbound on Lake Hughes Road east of Ridge Route Road about 11 a.m. Friday when he lost control of his Chevrolet Astro minivan and drove off the road’s edge, according to a CHP news release.

Diaz was on the job at the time delivering payroll for Los Angeles County, said CHP Sgt. Rob Lund.

The cause of the crash was under investigation Saturday.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Multi-vehicle Crash Injures 6

Rick Patterson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Six people were transported to local hospitals - four in critical condition - including a male driver who suffered a medical emergency Tuesday morning and struck two pedestrians and another vehicle, authorities said.

The crash happened at 7:09 a.m. at Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue, said Devin Gales, Los Angeles Fire Department.

The 40-year-old motorist drove onto a sidewalk and collided with a 40-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman, who remain in serious condition, Gales said.

The driver careened down the street and slammed into a car carrying a 6-year-old girl and her parents. The child is also in critical condition.

Gales said the girl's 27-year-old mother and 23-year-old father were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Preliminary reports said the male driver suffered a seizure while behind the wheel. But Gales said that medical information has not been confirmed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Motorcycle Crash Injures LAPD Officer on Interstate 5

Rick Patterson — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:29:00 GMT

An LAPD officer was being examined at a hospital today after his department motorcycle struck metal debris on the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway in Sylmar, causing him to lose control and fall.

The accident on the Golden State Freeway just south of the northbound Antelope Valley (14) Freeway occurred about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, California Highway Patrol Officer Victor Leyva said.

Leyva said the LAPD officer told him he had hit a large piece of metal on the roadway, lost control and fell off the motorcycle.

"He had no noticeable severe injuries; mostly complaints of pain on his right side, his neck and back,'' Leyva said.

Paramedics took the officer to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia for a full checkup following the crash, Leyva said.

At least two other vehicles sustained flat tires after striking the same metal debris that felled the motor officer, Leyva said, adding that a portion of the northbound 5 was blocked off for more than an hour while it was removed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

California Car Crash Kills 5 foreign students and 1 American

Rick Patterson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:22:25 GMT

An accident on the 101 Freeway in Los Alamos, California killed six of the seven passengers involved. Three French women, one Russian woman, an American man, and a Turkish woman were all killed. The driver, 19-year-old Jeanne Ostrowski of France, is the only survivor but is in critical condition.

According to California Highway Patrol, the car crash occurred late last Thursday. "For an unknown reason the car drifted into the center median, overcorrected, lost control and drifted across both southbound lanes and down a decline before impacting with a tree," CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said.

The man was identified by local media as a 30-year-old professional from San Francisco.

The students who were killed were all in their 20s.

Clader said the foreigners were studying English at a private school in San Francisco and one of the French women was attending ballet school.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Two-Vehicle Car Crash Leaves Woman Dead, Husband and Child Injured

Rick Patterson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:07:44 GMT

A two-vehicle car crash at the intersection of 12100 W. Osborne St. in Pacoima left a mother dead and her husband and child critically injured. The mother died at the scene while the driver of the other vehicle declined transport. The child was airlifted to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

The collision occured around 5 p.m. Thursday and appeared to be rain related.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

The High Cost of Fraudulent Auto Insurance

Rick Patterson — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:12:00 GMT

There seems to be more fraudulent insurance claims out there than many would guess. It has been estimated by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner that as many as 802 claims in the last year are likely fraudulent claims.

This translate into a huge financial loss and ,no doubt, an increase in auto insurance rates for all of us. The loss is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $5.6 million, and that is just in the last fiscal year. Statewide, more than 60 percent of insurance claims are suspected of being fraudulent. See the complete article for tip-off of fraudulent activity.

Automobile Accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Minnesota Teen Drivers get Bad Rap

Rick Patterson — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:10:08 GMT

Minnesota teen drivers have been getting a bad rap, and it is undeserved. It has been widely

reported that teen drivers in Minnesota have the highest teen fatality rate as a result of motor vehicle crashes in the nation. That is not true.

Minnesota teens can say with all honesty that they are much less likely to die behind the wheel of an automobile they are driving than most teens in other states in the nation. In fact, they have the 13th lowest teen fatality rate in the nation. Keep up the good work Minnesota.

Information Pertaining to Automobile Accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

California Campaign To Help Prevent Teen Deaths

Rick Patterson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:05:00 GMT

Between the California Highway Patrol, California Teachers Association, state legislators and other groups California is working hard to bring public awareness to all in an effort to reduce the number of deaths of teenage drivers. Teen Driving Safety Week began this week.

At one time, there was in-car drivers’ training in public high schools. Due to budget cuts, now only one in three schools offer such a program to their students. We need to think about where our priorities are. Think about the fact that a high school soccer player may receive as much as 1,500 hours of coached soccer practice compared to a mere 50 hours of driving practice prior to obtaining a license to drive. Truth is stranger than fiction comes to mind here.

More than 7 in 10 16 year-old drivers are at fault in California vehicle accidents. And 4 in 10 deaths of teens are as a result of traffic accidents. The numbers speak for themselves. According to California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell "the fatal crash risk per mile driven by 16-year-olds is twice that of 18-year-olds and about seven times the risk of drivers ages 30-59."

The group, Impact Teen Drivers delivers awareness, has delivered more than 15,000 packets of classroom materials to public high schools in California. The aim is to teach teens the impact and consequences of driving while distracted. The CHP also plays a vital role as explained by CHP spokeswoman Barbara Upham. Her Santa Rosa office holds a free two-hour safe driving course each month. Additionally, CHP officers give weekly safe driving presentations in health education and drivers' education classes at local high schools.

Parents can play a vital role also. If your child does not show responsibility and restraint while driving. Please, take the car away before a life is taken away.

Additional Information Pertaining to Automobile Accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Trucker Arrested for DUI after he Kills another Driver

Rick Patterson — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:24:42 GMT

While driving a truck in Frankfort, Kentucky last Wednesday night, Paul George Neto of Decatur, Alabama killed 41-year-old Leslye Robertson.

The driver was charged with murder; DUI; possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and marijuana. Nato caused the head-on collision , when his truck swerved into the opposite lane of U.S. 421. His victim died after Neto's truck pushed the van she was driving backward for 250 feet at which time she struck trees and utility poles. The woman he victimized was a career state worker. At this time, Neto is being held without bond.

Further information pertaining to automobile accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Automobile Accidents on the Rise

Rick Patterson — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:09:32 GMT

Automobile accidents have greatly increased on Los Angeles freeways and streets according to officials. In fact, according to Francisco Villalobos, an officer who works out of the California Highway Patrol's Transportation Management Center, there were twice as many automobile collisions reported this week as there were last week.

"We do see a lot of solo spinouts, people going over the side of the roads, hitting the guardrails (during the rain)," Villalobos said. "A lot of that is on the onramps and offramps." It is likely that the rain will continue through Sunday. So be careful out there, and remember to slow down.

For tips on driving safely in the rain please visit Auto Safety

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson