Southern California Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A 27-year-old Rialto man who was struck and killed by a pickup truck on December 27, 2008 on the 57 Freeway has been identified as Westley Matavoa. According to this report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Matavoa was standing on the right shoulder of the 57 Freeway just south of the Interstate 10. He was adjusting furniture that was tied to the back of his vehicle when he and another friend were struck by the pickup.

Matavoa was driving a Kia Spectra and following 28-year-old Helene Salanoa of Santa Ana. The furniture in the bed of Salanoa’s truck got loose, so she pulled over to the right shoulder and Matavoa also pulled over to help. When he was adjusting the furniture, the driver of a Ford F-150 veered into the right shoulder and struck both Salanoa and Matavoa. Salanoa suffered moderate injuries, but Matavoa was killed.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Westley Matavoa. My heart also goes out to Helene Salanoa, who witnessed her friend getting struck and killed in addition to suffering injuries herself. I wish her the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading " Man Struck and Killed on Freeway Shoulder " »

Traffic investigators in San Pedro are still trying to figure out what caused a fatal rollover crash on December 25, 2008 on the 110 Freeway. The fatal rollover crash killed 38-year old Sheryl Ann Thacker and her mother, Carmela Rodriguez, 64. Injured in this Harbor City auto accident were Thacker’s son Richard Pena, 21, her 12-year-old daughter and a relative, 22-year-old Matthew Crunk. Our source for this blog was this news report in the Daily Breeze.

Police say Thacker lost control of her 1994 Chevy minivan north on the freeway at 60 to 65 mph. Thacker apparently lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons and suddenly veered to the right. The minivan then traveled across all traffic lanes and struck the wood and metal guardrail on the right shoulder. The impact of the collision caused the vehicle to roll over and land upside down.

What a horrible fate to be met with on the way to a Christmas Day gathering! My heart goes out to all members of Sheryl Ann Thacker’s family. Not only do they have to bury two family members during the holidays, but must deal with other injured victims who are recovering from this awful crash. This family will certainly be in my prayers and I offer my deepest condolences for their tragic loss.

Continue reading " Harbor City Minivan Rollover Crash Kills Two " »

Lisa Rogers, 39, was killed after her car was struck by a suspected drunk driver on a Riverside street on December 23, 2008. According to this report in The Press-Enterprise, Rogers was driving west on Jurupa Road near Camino Real when her 2002 Chevrolet was struck by a Toyota driven by 22-year-old Oman Rodriguez. The Toyota hit the rear of Rogers’ car and both vehicles rolled over. Rogers suffered fatal injuries while Rodriguez was treated for moderate injuries in an area hospital. Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony DUI.

My heart goes out to the family of Lisa Rogers, who died tragically in this accident caused by an irresponsible, negligent drunk driver. I hope Rodriguez is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Please keep Rogers’ family in your prayers.

Continue reading " Riverside Woman Killed in DUI Rollover Crash " »

Ruth Meeks, 48, of Bakersfield, suffered major injuries in a head-on collision on December 20, 2008. According to a news report in the Bakersfield Californian, Meeks was traveling east on Highway 46 when 19-year-old Martin Kasakov of Pomona moved to pass a vehicle in the westbound lane and struck Meeks’ car just west of Lost Hills. Kasakov suffered minor injuries as a result of this Bakersfield auto accident. California Highway Patrol officials said both Meeks and Kasakov were wearing seatbelts and were taken to an area hospital for treatment of their injuries.

My heart goes out to the injured victim in this case, Ruth Meeks. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep this victim in your prayers.

Continue reading " Bakersfield Woman Seriously Injured in Head-On Collision " »

Miriam Poland, an 86-year-old Texas woman, was killed in a Ford Explorer rollover crash on December 20, 2008 after the vehicle’s tire tread separated and the driver lost control of the vehicle. According to a KBTX news report, the crash occurred on Highway 30 East in Bryan, Texas, when a tread from a rear tire separated. The tire tread separation caused 49-year-old Charles Poland to lose control of the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trax he was driving.

According to Texas State Troopers, Poland and his 12-year-old daughter, who were both buckled up, suffered injuries. Miriam Poland, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the SUV and suffered fatal injuries.

My heart goes out to the family of Miriam Poland, who died in this horrific Ford Explorer rollover crash. I wish Charles Poland and his young daughter the very best for a quick and complete recovery from their injuries. I’m relieved that they did not suffer catastrophic injuries in this accident.

Continue reading " Ford Explorer Rollover Crash Caused by Defective Tire Kills Woman " »

Gilbert Vasquez, a 25-year-old Santa Ana man, was killed the morning of December 20, 2008 in a pedestrian versus auto accident, The Orange County Register reports. The fatal Santa Ana pedestrian accident occurred near 17th Street and Tustin Avenue. Shortly after the collision Vasquez was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. California Highway Patrol is apparently handling the investigation because it occurred in an unincorporated area of the city.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Gilbert Vasquez for their tragic loss.
Please keep them in your prayers.

According to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic http://www.chp.ca.gov/switrs/pdf/2006-sec8.pdfReporting System (SWITRS), in 2006, there were seven fatalities involving pedestrian accidents in Santa Ana and 127 pedestrian accident involved injuries. In Orange County as a whole, 45 deaths and 802 injuries were attributed to pedestrian accidents in 2006.

Continue reading " Orange County Pedestrian versus Auto Accident Kills Man " »

Two motorcyclists – John Vincent Portlock, 49, and Chamnan Bun, 20 – suffered serious injuries after a head-on motorcycle collision on Glendora Mountain Road on December 21, 2008, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports. This is apparently the second time in one week that there has been a head-on motorcycle collision on that road. The most recent crash occurred just south of East Fork Road in the Angeles National Forest north of Glendora.

Portlock was northbound and Bun was southbound. The crash occurred at a curve and both riders were thrown off their motorcycles. Portlock was hospitalized with critical injuries while Bun is said to have suffered moderate injuries. Authorities say one of the motorcyclists may have crossed over the center line. The other crash – a very similar one – occurred on December 14, 2008. That incident happened just three miles further south on Glendora Mountain Road. In that accident, the motorcyclists were rounding a curve when one motorcyclist crossed over the center line and collided head-on with the other.

I’m relieved that all the motorcyclists involved in both head-on collisions survived the accidents. It certainly could have been a lot worse. I wish all the injured motorcyclists a complete recovery.

Continue reading " Second Head-On Motorcycle Collision in a Week on San Gabriel Roadway " »

Marco Aguilar, 33, of Orange, was killed after a suspected drunk driver rear-ended his vehicle on the 55 Freeway on December 20, 2008, The Orange County Register reports. The Orange DUI accident occurred when a black Chevrolet Tahoe, heading north on the freeway near Chapman Avenue, crashed into the back of the green Toyota Avalon that Aguilar was driving. Aguilar was traveling at 15 mph because of slow traffic on the freeway.

The driver of the Tahoe has been identified as Oscar Omar Guereca. California Highway Patrol officials say Guereca was traveling at 85 mph during the accident and could not reduce the speed of his vehicle because he was under the influence. Guereca drove away after the crash, but was arrested shortly after. Guereca has been charged with felony driving under the influence, vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run.

My heart goes out to the family of Marco Aguilar, who was tragically killed in this drunk driving accident. Not only did Guereca choose to drive under the influence of alcohol, but he failed to stop after hitting Aguilar and fled the scene of the accident. I offer my deepest condolences to Aguilar’s family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Continue reading " Orange DUI Accident Kills Man " »

Jesse Farmer, 16, of La Mesa, was killed and four others were injured on December 16, 2008 along a remote highway in the Mojave Desert. The fatal rollover accident occurred on Highway 127 about 38 miles north of Baker. Farmer was apparently ejected from the rear seat and later died in an area hospital. Our source for this blog was this report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

My heart goes out to the family of young Jesse Farmer and the families of the other young people in the car who were injured. This is obviously any parent’s nightmare. Please keep Jesse’s family in your prayers as well as the others who are recovering from their injuries. I offer my deepest condolences to the Farmer family and wish the other victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Rollover accidents cause about 10,000 fatalities annually in the United States, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That number amounts to one-fourth or 25 percent of all auto accident fatalities in the country. A lot of these accidents occur because of inherently unstable vehicles that overturn even at lower speeds. In this particular fatal rollover crash, California Highway Patrol officials say that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. I would also be curious to find out whether the vehicle’s occupants were wearing seatbelts.

Continue reading " Mojave Desert Rollover Crash Kills Teenager " »

A suspected drunk driver may have caused a head-on crash on December 15, 2008 in Wilmington that killed 17-year-old Lionel Molina of Long Beach. His 22-year-old brother, who has not yet been identified, has been hospitalized in critical condition, according to this news report in the Daily Breeze. Officials said 31-year-old Marlon Roldan was driving a 2000 Chevrolet van at a high rate of speed West on Anaheim Street near Foote Street when he lost control and veered into opposing lanes of traffic. Roldan suffered only minor injuries after slamming into the Chevy Blazer carrying the Molina brothers..

My heart goes out to the Molina family. Here were two young men returning home from church and they’re hit by a drunk driver. Heartbreaking! I offer my deepest condolences to Lionel Molina’s family. Not only have they lost one child, they have another fighting for his life. Please keep this injured, young man in your prayers. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

I hope Roldan is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He has been arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. California Penal Code Section 191.5 (a) states: “Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought in the driving of a vehicle…and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death.”

Continue reading " Wilmington Head-On DUI Crash Kills Teen " »

Jorge Pedroza, 22, of Baldwin Park, died in a Victorville big rig accident on December 15, 2008, The Press-Enterprise reports. Pedroza was killed when his compact car was rear-ended by a tractor trailer and then pushed into another big rig on Interstate 15 near Bear Valley Road. Pedroza died at the scene as his car was sandwiched between the two big rigs.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Jorge Pedroza for their tragic loss. I sincerely hope California Highway Patrol officials who are investigating this truck accident find out whom or what was responsible for this horrific crash.

California tops the list in the United States when it comes to big rig accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Transportations’ statistics, in 2007, there were 361 large trucks involved in fatal accidents and 10,635 big rigs involved in injury accidents in California.
Big rig accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or death because of their size and weight and the damage that they can do to smaller passenger vehicles. In this case, Pedroza’s compact car did not stand a chance.

Continue reading " Victorville Truck Accident Kills Man " »

Kaydee Campbell, 20, of Trabuco Canyon, was killed in a Tustin freeway accident on December 14, 2008 when she stopped to help a stranded motorist on Interstate 5.
According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Campbell, a nursing student who was home for the holidays, was killed after a suspected drunk driver was unable to stop in time and caused the fatal crash.

The impaired driver was identified as Takayuki Saito, 41, of Santa Ana. Apparently Campbell, her boyfriend and a 16-year-old girl were traveling north on the 5 Freeway near Redhill Avenue, when they saw a disabled motorist. Campbell and the teen got out to help the motorist when Saito crashed his car into Campbell’s BMW, which got pushed on to Campbell and the teen. The 16-year-old girl suffered major injuries.

My heart goes out to Kaydee Campbell’s family as well as the teenager, who was seriously injured in this horrific DUI crash. Here were two Good Samaritans helping a stranded motorist on the freeway and they get struck down in turn. Tragic!

Continue reading " Good Samaritan Fatally Struck by Drunk Driver in Tustin " »

A man working on his malfunctioning big rig in Santa Ana was crushed to death the morning of December 15, 2008 when the raised truck bed came crashing down on him, The Orange County Register reportshttp://www.ocregister.com/articles/truck-santa-trapped-2257091-called-hours. A bus driver, who noticed that the man had not moved for hours, called authorities. Firefighters, who arrived to rescue the man, said he had been dead for several hours and concluded that the accident must have occurred while he was trying to fix the big-rig. The Orange County Coroner’s Web site identifies the victim as a 46-year-old Garden Grove man.

Santa Ana police are apparently still trying to determine how the man ended up trapped by the large truck, which was being used to deliver industrial trash bins. The man had had the bed of the truck raised up and was working underneath it when it unexpectedly came crashing down and crushed him to death. The man suffered severe injuries and must have died instantly, officials say. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) is also investigating the incident.

My heart goes out to the family of this victim, who died tragically while trying to do his job. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

Continue reading " Garden Grove Man Crushed to Death in Santa Ana While Fixing Big Rig " »

A 24-year-old man was killed in a rollover accident on December 12, 2008 along Interstate 10 near Cabazon. The victim has been identified as Damian Demeglio of Desert Hot Springs. Police indicate that Demeglio may have crashed while racing on the freeway with another driver. Eyewitnesses told officials that the two cars were traveling at speeds above 100 mph moments before the fatal rollover crash. Our source for this blog is this news report in The Desert Sun.

Although Demeglio was the only fatality in the crash, a passenger in his car was injured and hospitalized with injuries, California Highway Patrol officials said. They are still looking for a second car – apparently a silver car – that sped away after the crash.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has more information is asked to call 760-772-8900.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of young Damian Demeglio for their heartbreaking loss. I also wish his injured passenger the very best for a quick and complete recovery. This is a tragic situation for everybody involved.

Continue reading " Cabazon Rollover Crash Kills Man - Officials Suspect Racing " »

A 61-year-old man, who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding in a motorized wheelchair in Lynwood on December 10, 2008, has been identified as Augustine Joe Martinez. According to this Los Angeles Times news blog, Martinez was riding his wheelchair along the curb line on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Carson Drive when the vehicle struck him.

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department officials who are conducting the investigation are asking for the public’s help in finding this hit-and-run driver. So far, no vehicle descriptions have been made available. If you witnessed this incident or if you have any information about it, please call the police at 323-568-4796.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Augustine Joe Martinez. Here was a man who was going about his business and he was not only struck down by a seemingly negligent driver, but gets left on the street to die. What kind of a person does that? I think this was someone utterly callous and without any regard for another human life.

Continue reading " Lynwood Hit-and-Run Accident Kills Man in Wheelchair " »

We all love celebrity stories. Well, here is one celebrity story, which proves beyond any doubt, that drunk drivers WILL be made to pay for their mistakes – for a very, very long time. Actor Lane Garrison was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence in connection with a 2006 DUI crash. The horrible crash took the life of 17-year-old Vahagn Setian who was a passenger in Garrison’s car. Now Setian’s parents, Karen Setian and Inaida Nalbandian, are suing Garrison for wrongful death and gross negligence. Our source for this blog was this news report on E! Online.

Garrison was sentenced to 40 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to all charges. The fatal auto accident occurred on December 2, 2006, when, after consuming alcohol at a party, Garrison took Setian and two of his Beverly Hills High School classmates to a store to pick up more alcohol. On their way back, the former “Prison Break” star ran a red light and lost control of his Land Rover. Garrison was apparently going 50 mph in a 25 mph speed zone. His blood alcohol level registered at 0.15 percent after the crash – nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Vahagn died from fatal injuries he suffered during the crash.

Continue reading " Actor Lane Garrison Faces Wrongful Death Suit for 2006 Fatal DUI Crash " »

Michael Abergel, a Sherman Oaks motorist, died in an auto accident on December 10, 2008 after his Chevy Astro van spun out of control along Interstate 10 in Colton and hit the center divider. Abergel died at the scene. His van crashed along the eastbound lanes at Rancho Avenue. California Highway Patrol officials say the van went out of control after a tire blew out. Our source for this blog is this news report in the Riverside Press Enterprise.

My heart goes out to the family of Michael Abergel for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

Tire failure or tire tread separation are among the most common causes for drivers to lose control of their vehicles, especially while traveling at freeway speeds. When a tire suddenly fails or blows out, the vehicle tends to go out of control and it’s tough, even for experienced drivers, to control such a situation.

Continue reading " Motorist Killed in Colton Auto Accident after Tire Fails " »

Jason Allen Siebert, a 32-year-old La Habra resident, died in a Long Beach car crash on December 6, 2008. The accident occurred after a fleeing suspect, who was being chased by police, broadsided Siebert’s vehicle at a Long Beach intersection. According to this news report in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 22-year-old Cody Brown was involved in a high speed police chase when he struck Siebert’s 1998 BMW at the corner of Redondo Avenue and Fourth Street. Brown is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, evading law enforcement, impaired driving and other traffic violations.

The incident began when a police officer saw Brown running a red light at Bellflower Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. The chase reached speeds of up to 100 mph on surface streets. Brown was speeding through stop signs and traffic lights. In addition to Siebert’s car, Brown also hit a taxicab whose driver suffered minor injuries. Long Beach officials are apparently investigating the conduct of their own police officials to make sure police protocol was followed during this pursuit.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Jason Allen Siebert, who was the unsuspecting victim of this horrific auto accident. Please keep Siebert’s family in your prayers. I’m glad the taxi driver got away with minor injuries. I wish him a speedy recovery.

What angers me about this incident is that, if this newspaper report is accurate, Cody Brown did not seem to have been a dangerous criminal. Yes, he ran a red light and when pursued, drove recklessly and posed a hazard to the driving public. But was it necessary to chase him around the city of Long Beach at 100 mph?

Continue reading " Long Beach Police Chase Kills Bystander " »

Chayo Cabrera, 25, was killed in a San Bernardino rollover accident on December 8, 2008, according to this news report. The rollover crash occurred when Cabrera lost control of his 1996 Toyota Corolla, hit a curb and rolled over on a bridge on Muscupiabe Drive in San Bernardino. Cabrera was ejected from his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He was apparently the only motorist on the bridge at the time.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Chayo Cabrera for their tragic loss.
Please keep them in your prayers.

Unfortunately, rollover accidents are among the most common types of traffic accidents in the United States. Often, these crashes result in catastrophic injuries or death. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 10,000 people are killed each year in rollover accidents and more than 24,000 people suffer catastrophic injuries as a result of such crashes.

Continue reading " San Bernardino Vehicle Rollover Crash Claims One " »

A 42-year-old man killed in a pedestrian versus auto accident in Huntington Beach on December 6, 2008 has been identified as Isidoro Cardozo. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, Cardozo was attempting to cross Beach Boulevard near Slater Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle traveling north on Beach Boulevard.

Huntington Beach police officials said Cardozo died five hours after the accident. The driver, who stopped after the crash, was not cited or arrested pending a police investigation. Officials say that based on their preliminary investigation, the driver did not seem to have committed any violations. But officials also have not confirmed whether or not Cardozo was walking in a crosswalk.

My heart goes out to the family of Isidoro Cardozo for their heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

Continue reading " Man Killed In Huntington Beach Auto versus Pedestrian Accident " »

The man who struck and killed 23-year-old Isis Jennifer Sue Kelly near a Buena Park intersection on December 4, 2008, has turned himself in, The Orange County Register reports. The 12/4/08 fatal pedestrian versus auto accident occurred near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and La Palma Avenue when Salvador Sanchez Perez, 46, of Stanton, struck Kelly. Police say Kelly was not walking in a crosswalk when the Buena Park pedestrian accident occurred. Perez took off without stopping to render aid to Kelly, but a second driver who struck Kelly’s body stopped and called authorities.

Buena Park police were looking for the “hit-and-run driver” until Perez turned himself in a day after the accident. He was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. Perez apparently has a valid driver’s license and insurance and told police he “panicked after the accident.”

My heart goes out to the family of young Isis Jennifer Sue Kelly, who was fatally injured in this horrific accident. For one day, they also had to agonize over a hit-and-run driver. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Continue reading " Buena Park Pedestrian Accident Kills Woman " »

Alan Whitcomb, a 45-year-old man, died in a Garden Grove pedestrian accident on December 3, 2008 when he was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, the 12/3/08 fatal accident occurred while Whitcomb was crossing Garden Grove Boulevard at Yockey Street. Whitcomb was taken to an area hospital where he died. The driver has not been cited or arrested pending an investigation by the Garden Grove Police Department.

My heart goes out to the family of Alan Whitcomb for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

Apparently this is the second fatal pedestrian accident at that exact same intersection in the last nine months. In April, a 70-year-old grandmother was killed crossing the street at the same location with her grandchild. Thankfully, the toddler in that case was uninjured. There is no question that the City of Garden Grove needs to look into this intersection and see if there is a dangerous condition that needs to be fixed.

Continue reading " Garden Grove Pedestrian Accident Kills Man " »

A 24-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy suffered serious injuries in a Los Banos auto accident on November 30, 2008. The 11/30/08 crash occurred when Gilbert Fuentes, 43, who was driving at 50 mph westbound on Highway 152, slammed into a Honda driven by 24-year-old Omar Gutierrez of Fresno. The victims were passengers in the Honda, which was stopped at a red light when the impact happened. Our source for this blog was a report in the Merced Sun-Star.

California Highway Patrol officials said Fuentes failed to see the Gutierrez’s Honda directly in front of him. The impact of the rear-end collision forced the leg of a pop-up canopy kept in the back seat of the Honda, to push through an ice chest, the driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat. The man was killed instantly when the canopy leg impaled him through his back. The 16-year-old was taken to a local hospital with major injuries. Fuentes and Omar Gutierrez were not injured.

Continue reading " Los Banos Rear-End Crash Kills Man, Injures Teenager " »

Two Lompoc women – Susan Gosling, 54 and Diane Lange McBurney, 69 – were killed in a November 27, 2008 head-on collision involving a suspected drunk driver, the Lompoc Record reports. The 11/27/08 crash occurred on Highway 246 east of Lompoc when a Nissan driven by 21-year-old Angelica Arias went out of control and collided head-on with the Ford Escape SUV Gosling and McBurney were in.

California Highway Patrol officials said the Nissan ran off the right side of the road into the field and then back across the highway and into the eastbound lane, where it crashed into the Ford Escape near Mission Gate Road. Gosling was pronounced dead at the scene and McBurney died later in an area hospital. Arias had emergency surgery for internal injuries, but is said to be in stable condition. Arias was apparently driving away from an event at a neighboring golf course and officials are investigating the involvement of alcohol in this incident. Eyewitnesses told officials that Arias was speeding, following too closely and driving erratically.

An unfortunate and tragic accident! Here were two women traveling on Thanksgiving Day and they are involved in a horrific accident caused by a clearly negligent (and perhaps drunk) driver. My heart goes out to the families of Susan Gosling and Diane Lange McBurney. They will certainly be in my prayers.

Continue reading " Head-On Lompoc Collision Kills Two " »

Daniel Alvarez, 52, was killed in a December 1, 2008 Fullerton auto accident when the 2007 Toyota sedan he was driving crashed into a traffic signal, flipped on its side and caught on fire. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, the Toyota was traveling westbound in the No. 2 lane of Rosecrans Avenue near Emery Ranch Road when the crash occurred. The engine fire quickly spread to the interior of the car, leaving no time for the driver to escape.

Fullerton firefighters responded and put out the car fire, but were not able to save Alvarez, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Traffic investigators are apparently still trying to figure out what caused this tragic accident.

My heart goes out to the family of Daniel Alvarez for their loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

Continue reading " Placentia Man Dies in Fiery Orange County Car Crash " »

A Lompoc pickup truck driver who was seriously injured in a collision with an ambulance on Highway 1 near Vandenberg Village on November 29, 2008 has been identified as William Purgason, 53. According to this news report in the Lompoc Record, the 11/29/08 crash occurred when the American Medical Response ambulance was transporting a patient for a non-emergency situation.

Purgason was southbound on Highway 1 in a Chevy Silverado truck traveling about the speed limit when he waved at a driver next to him. California Highway Patrol officials said that around that time, Purgason’s truck drifted off to the left side of the road into the center median. When Purgason overcorrected the steering wheel, the truck veered onto the northbound side of Highway 1 and struck the ambulance.

The impact of the collision caused the ambulance to roll over and land on its roof. The ambulance driver, 20-year-old Kevin Ford, suffered minor injuries. The patient being transported, Angel Uzueta, 19, complained of neck pain after the accident. And Purgason’s passenger, 62-year-old Xuan Gordon of Lompoc, was not injured.

Continue reading " Lompoc Pickup versus Ambulance Collision Seriously Injures Man " »

James M. McRae, 32, of Castaic, died in a fiery rollover accident on November 30, 2008 after the Jeep he was a riding in caught on fire during an off-road crash near Pyramid Lake, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The vehicle overturned and burst into flames, California Highway Patrol officials said. Nicholas M. Rowe, 24, who was also in the Jeep at the time of the accident, was seriously injured, but managed to get out of the vehicle and call authorities. Officials say it is unclear who was driving the Jeep. Rowe remains at an area hospital in critical condition.

My heart goes out to the family of James McRae for their tragic and sudden loss. Nicholas Rowe, who was critically injured in this crash, will also be in my prayers. I wish Rowe the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading " Pyramid Lake Jeep Rollover Crash Kills Man " »

Three-year-old Michelle Kwon has died due to critical injuries she suffered in a Diamond Bar pedestrian versus sport utility vehicle accident. The fatal pedestrian accident occurred outside an elementary school on November 26, 2008. According to this news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Michelle, her 5-year-old sister and father, Soonil Kwon, were struck by an out-of-control Nissan Pathfinder as they were walking on the sidewalk in front of Maple Hill Elementary School in Diamond Bar.

The 68-year-old driver of the SUV has not been cited or arrested pending a police investigation by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Soonil Kwon and his older daughter are still in the hospital with serious injuries. Police say the driver of the Pathfinder was either picking up or dropping off someone at the school when the 11/26/08 fatal accident occurred. He apparently voluntarily submitted to a blood-alcohol test immediately after the crash.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of little Michelle Kwon. Imagine a family losing its young child on Thanksgiving Day. Heartbreaking! Please pray for Michelle’s family, especially her 5-year-old sister, her father and the immediate family that is dealing with this unimaginable tragedy. I wish Soonil Kwon and his daughter the best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading " Diamond Bar Toddler Killed in Pedestrian versus SUV Accident " »