Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Popular

Man Arrested at Border Involved In USC Hit-and-run

Greg Owen — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:07:59 GMT

The man, Josue Luna, 32, was booked early Saturday as an accessory to a crime. He was attempting to cross back into the US from Mexico. According to the LAPD, he was released after posting $50,000 bail.

Luna was a passenger when his wife, Claudia Cabrera, 30, ran a red light at Jefferson Blvd. and Hoover, near USC, on March 29th. The couple's 2000 Infinity Sedan hit two students, killing Adrianna Bachan and leaving Marcus Garfinkle severely injured.

According to investigators, Marcus Garfinkle, 19, was carried 300-400 feet on the windshield when the car stopped and Luna pulled him off. Luna returned to the car and his wife drive off. The couple's 7-month old baby was in the back seat at the time of the accident.

Garfinkle suffered two broken legs and multiple other injuries. He remains hospitalized.

Claudia Cabrera, 30, was arrested April 2 and has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaugter and hit-and-run. She is being held on one million dollar bail.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Road Texting: An Accident Waiting to Happen

Greg Owen — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:23:01 GMT

Along with the ability to send text messages while driving comes the likelihood of more traffic accidents. Psychologists at the University of Utah say that texting behind the wheel is 50 percent more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while driving. Think about it, if someone was to use a typewriter or a laptop while driving it would be clearly insane. Although, the devise is smaller, texting is really no different. It is just as distracting.

There was a story reported on Wednesday on The Early Show relaying the clear message that the practice of texting while driving can cost lives - seems obvious enough. There are some horrible stories out there for example "On the day before Thanksgiving last year, high school senior Patrick Sims was driving less than a mile from his Denver home and texting a friend, when his girlfriend suddenly screamed. When Sims looked up, he was just inches from a cyclist in the bike lane." It was too late. Sims killed the 63-year-old grandfather and at the same time changed his life forever.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company conducted a survay wherein 37 percent of teenagers admitted that texting is distracting while driving - how could it be otherwise. When you think about that survay, that 37 percent are just the teens admitting texting is distracting. What about the teens who are still under the misguided notion that texting does not take away from driving at all. Using the maze of logic it took to come to that conclusion should be grounds to take the car away from a teen who has demonstrated a clear inability to reason and a likelyhood of an auto accident. As for Sims, he now talks to teens about his crash while texting and the life he took. He no longer has his license or cell phone. He is on probation and has served 10 days in jail.

Additional informaiton pertaining to automobile accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Sheriff’s Office Offering Teen Driving Course

Greg Owen — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:41:05 GMT

Statistics in America show that the leading cause of death for young adults is automobile accidents. As a result, a teen driving course is being offered by the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office.

In addition to impaired driving being a course topic, other topics such as vehicular maintenance, vehicular dynamics and aggressive driving are covered. The Sheriff's department also offer driving course exercises such as braking, swerving and recovering their vehicle from spin outs. More than just teen drivers could use that particular course. All of the driving courses offered are directly supervised by instructors from the Sheriff’s department.

Additional Information Pertaining to Automobile Accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Husband & Wife Die Bizarre in Car Crash

Greg Owen — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:21:01 GMT

In a bizarre chain of events a couple died in a car crash in Montana last Thursday. The husband and wife were driving in 2 separate cars with the wife following the husband.

Initally, the man crashed his vehicle on Montana Highway 2 and rolled it to the opening of the Rockin' the Rivers concert venue. His wife, who had been driving behind him, then pulled her vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway. Her husband then got out of his truck at which time the woman flashed her headlights at oncoming traffic. She was outside of her vehicle while flashing her headlights as she tried to warn the driver of an oncoming vehicle that her husband was on the highway. Although that action was well intended, the flashing lights actually distracted the oncoming vehicle.

Patrol Caption Tom Butler said "We may never know what exactly happened next, but as far as we can tell, the wife was standing next to her car flashing the lights through the window. She must have realized (the driver) didn't see her husband, and we believe she dove to knock her husband out of the way (of the oncoming vehicle), and both of them were struck." The couple are dead.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Toddler Killed in Auto Accident on Golden State Freeway

Greg Owen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:37:43 GMT

According to a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, the fatal accident occured Saturday around 9:30 a.m. near the San Fernando Blvd. offramp on the southbound 5 Freeway. A 50-year-old woman from Bakersfield was driving her husband and 3-year-old daughter in a Ford pickup when she struck a larger truck and then hit a pole. The toddler was later pronounced dead at Holy Cross Hospital.

The mother, Mariana Ruiz, was said to be travelling at an unsafe speed on a road still wet from from earlier rain showers. She was treated at Holy Cross for chest pain.

The father, Juan Torres, 43, fractured his arm and may have suffered a concussion.

The condition of the driver of the larger truck was unavailable.

Authorities were continuing to investigate the incident, but said alcohol was not a factor.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Vehicle Accidents Involving Deer Are on the Rise

Greg Owen — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:30:45 GMT

As awful a thought as it is, on the U.S. roads, many accidents occur when drivers strike deer. Last year alone, State Farm Insurance reported a 6 percent increase in their claims. Depending on the area, that number appears to be at the low end of the scale.

It is estimated by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year in the U.S., causing around 200 human deaths and more than $1.1 billion in insurance claims. The average cost of the property damage in 2006 was $2,800.

In many towns, the deer-vehicle accidents have actually doubled since 2005. For example, in Greenwich there were 86 in 2006 compared to 38 in 2005. Of course, these number a much higher in rural areas. The number greatly increase during the October to December, which is deer mating season, and deer are most mobile.

The number of deer is on the rise. Population control of the deer is being increased in communities such as Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton. So, if you are from a rural area or plan to travel in any rural areas in the future, keep your eyes wide open and consider yourself warned.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Long Beach Man Killed in Car Crash

Greg Owen — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:23:33 GMT

Steven Mieli, 52, of Long Beach was driving a 2003 Toyota Camry when he crashed just north of Ocean Blvd in Long Beach on Sunday. The crash occurred at around 3:30am.

The car is said to have hit several parked vehicles before finally bursting into flames. Police were unable to get Mieli out of his vehicle due to the fire. The man died at the scene.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Long Beach Police Detective David Lauro at (562) 570-7355.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Four Die in Crash Involving Amtrack

Susy Owen — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:49:47 GMT

On Monday, an Amtrack train carrying 161 passengers collided with a vehicle. The collision was a result of the driver of the vehicle making a decision to drive around the crossing gate, witnesses reported. When you hear stories like this, it seems, truth can be stranger than fiction!

Most unfortunately, the driver caused the deaths of three other people besides himself. Thankfully there were no injuries on the train, according to authorities. Not surprisingly, the car is demolished. The Silver Star was traveling from Miami to New York with 161 passengers aboard, Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell said." The train had already made a stop in Tampa prior to the incident. This is a sad situation. The automobile crash and subsequent deaths could have easily been avoided.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Another Drunk Driver Kills

Greg Owen — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:48:35 GMT

Cleveland Lloyd Antonio Mitchell, 54, of Durham, N.C., was driving in the early hours of the morning with his children, ages 18 and 21, when their vehicle was hit by another vehicle, which was driven by a drunk driver, Delvin L. Ridgle. As a result, Lloyd Antonio Mitchell died at the scene.

According to Sgt. F.L. Tyler of Virginia State Police "Delvin L. Ridgle, 27, a sergeant with the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Eustis, was traveling northbound on I-95 at a high rate of speed about 3:15 a.m." The drunk driver, Mr. Ridgele, had no injuries. He is currently being held in jail with bond. The decedent's children were not injured. It appears that not only speed by alcohol were factors in the incident.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Drunk Driver Kills Self and Second Driver in Four-Car Collision

Greg Owen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

The accident occurred in Riverside, CA on Sierra Avenue, just north of Karen Lane. According to CHP, Angel Sandate, 49, was driving at an excessive speed while under the influence of alcohol when he crashed head-on with 44-year old Delana Elizabeth Jones of San Bernardino. Sandate’s car then struck another vehicle, a Ford-F150, which was eventually hit by a fourth vehicle.

Sandate and Jones were killed. The conditions of the other two drivers and three passengers were unknown.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen