Traffic Accident News

Orange County, California is an affluent county just South of Los Angeles, yet the public bus system and school bus system has come under fire in recent years due to various personal injuries and bus accidents that could have been prevented. These are often caused by DUI or distracted bus drivers and it is estimated that 90% of all bus accidents are caused by human error or negligence. So if you have been in an accident, contact the Orange County bus accident lawyers today.

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Seven people were injured, one critically, in a Temecula car accident that involved a Riverside Transit agency bus and several other vehicles. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the major injury accident occurred on the Interstate 15 at Winchester Road, the morning of August 10, 2011. California Highway Patrol officials say, the transit bus carrying five passengers slammed into the back of a box truck that was stopped at the end of a line of cars waiting to exit the freeway. The bus driver did not notice the backed up vehicles. The bus driver's leg was almost severed in the crash and his injuries are potentially life-threatening. Six others were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

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A pregnant woman and 10 others suffered injuries in a Los Angeles car accident involving a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the injury bus accident occurred the night of June 14, 2011, near West Adams Boulevard and 6th Avenue, in Jefferson Park. A 30-year-old female driver suffered critical injuries when her car collided with the bus. The 25-year-old pregnant woman on the bus suffered serious injuries, while her three daughters suffered minor injuries. Six other passengers ranging in age from 18 to 65 also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this Los Angeles bus accident. I wish everyone affected by this crash a complete and speedy recovery.

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A woman was injured in a San Francisco car accident involving a runaway Muni bus. According to a report in the San Jose Mercury News, the injury bus accident occurred on San Jose Avenue near Mission Street in Daly City the evening of April 17, 2011. Investigators are trying to determine if the bus was being driven at the time of the accident, or if the vehicle was improperly parked and rolled down the roadway. The female driver of the car that the bus slammed into sustained non-life-threatening injuries. However, she had to be extricated from her vehicle. An investigation is ongoing.

I'm relieved to hear that the victim of this bus accident did not suffer major or fatal injuries. I wish her the very best for a complete and speedy recovery. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), three people were killed and 248 were injured in Daly City car accidents. During that same year, there were 36 fatalities and 2,673 injuries reported due to San Mateo County car accidents.

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A driver was injured in a Riverside car accident when his pickup truck collided with a school bus the evening of April 13, 2011. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the bus accident occurred on Cajalco Road near La Sierra Avenue in El Cerrito. None of the 32 students from Centennial High School, who were on board the bus, were injured in the accident. The driver of the pickup truck sustained what were believed to be moderate injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

I am relieved to hear that none of the young passengers on the school bus were injured in this bus accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 121 fatalities and 2,615 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in the unincorporated areas of Riverside County. Also, countywide, car accidents claimed 220 lives and injured 8,561 people during the same year.

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Investigators looking into a New York bus accident, which killed 15 passengers and critically injured six, have found that the driver, Ophadell Williams, is a convicted felon and that the bus company has had a history of falsifying logs that listed information about drivers' hours and rest periods. According to an Associated Press news report, a bus owned by World Wide Travel, which was making an early morning run from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut to New York's Chinatown went off the roadway and flipped. A pole on the roadway pierced the windshield and tore the bus in half, shearing off its roof.

Officials are still investigating William's claim that he lost control because the bus was clipped by a tractor-trailer which left the scene. But authorities have also gotten reports from passengers that Williams was speeding, dozing off and driving erratically right before the crash. Investigators found that five out of eight random inspections that the bus company had over the last 10 years showed their logs were not current, complete or legible.

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Two people, identified as 20-year-old Troy Nguyen and 50-year-old Wei Wang, were killed in a bus accident on the New Jersey Turnpike the night of March 14, 2011. According to an Associated Press news report, the fatal crash occurred within three days of another horrific bus accident in the Bronx, which killed 15 people. In the New Jersey bus accident, two were killed and 10 others were injured when the bus hit a concrete support for an overpass. Two of those victims, identified as Louis Pierre, 50, and 70-year-old David Choi, were critically injured.

Tragic Bus Accident

Officials say the tour bus operated by Super Luxury Tours between the Chinatowns of Philadelphia and New York went out of control. The driver, Wang, was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown 15 feet through the windshield. Officials say the bus was traveling south on the turnpike in East Brunswick when the vehicle went off the road onto a grassy median, before striking the overpass support. Investigators are looking into whether a blown tire caused the driver to lose control. They are also looking into whether the driver suffered a medical issue just before the crash. An investigation is ongoing.

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Fourteen people died and several others were critically injured in a New York City bus accident the morning of March 12, 2011. According to a news report in The New York Times, the horrific bus accident occurred on Interstate 95 near the Bronx line, when a casino bus swerved out of control, skidded next to a guardrail and rammed into the support pole of a freeway exit sign. The pole then smashed through the bus' front, before ripping through the entire length of the vehicle along the passenger window line.

Possible Hit-and-Run Accident

The bus driver, 40-year-old Ophadell Williams, told officials that his bus was clipped by a passing tractor-trailer, which sped away. Police are still investigating the driver's account and looking into other reports that the driver may have been speeding right before the fatal accident. The World Wide Tours bus was headed from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut to China Town. At least 14 people of the 32 on board were killed. The deceased victims ranged in age from people in their 20s to 50s. Nine were treated in area hospitals and released. Nine others suffered serious or critical injuries. The Times identifies one of the deceased victims as 66-year-old Michael Yeh, but authorities have yet to release the names of the victims.

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A man in his 70s and a woman in her 30s were hospitalized following a Los Angeles car accident involving three cars and an MTA bus. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the injury accident occurred on Olympic Boulevard near Robertson Boulevard in West Los Angeles the morning of January 31, 2011. The man suffered serious injuries and the woman sustained non-life threatening injuries. The report does not specify how this accident took place or who caused it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims of this Los Angeles bus accident. I wish them a complete and speedy recovery from their injuries.

Los Angeles Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 268 people were killed and 25,588 were injured in Los Angeles car accidents. During the same year, there were 667 fatalities and 52,229 injuries reported involving car accidents in Los Angeles County.

What Caused This Bus Accident?

Based on this news report, it is not quite clear how this injury car accident occurred. Did the bus driver fail to look for oncoming cars before making an unsafe lane change or turn? Were any of the drivers distracted at the time of the accident? Were any of the motorists impaired, exceeding the speed limit or travelling too close behind the other vehicles? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine what occurred here and why.

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Super Bowl Sunday, February 6 this year, is on the horizon and the media frenzy surrounding it is beginning. To spotlight alcohol’s negative effects on a person physically, a group of Oregon traffic safety entities are holding an event demonstrating alcohol impairment.

The Insurance Information Institute says that Super Bowl Sunday has traditionally been second only to New Year’s Eve as the deadliest alcohol-related traffic accident day of the year.

At the special event being held on February 2 in Kaizer, Oregon, volunteers will drink differing amounts of alcohol at the “Super Bowl HVE Media – Wet Lab”, and police officers will give them field sobriety tests to demonstrate how alcohol may affect their driving. The volunteers will be tested with field sobriety tests that are given during traffic stops, such as the one-leg stand test, the walk and turn test, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus eye test.

When: February 2, 2011/12 to 4:30pm
What: Volunteers will start drinking alcohol at 9:30am and field sobriety tests will begin at 1pm
Where: Keizer Civic Center, 930 Chemawa Road NE, Keizer, OR

Oregon will be increasing traffic enforcement activities across the state during Super Bowl Weekend February 5-6. To help focus attention on the national “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” campaign, these Oregon organizations are supporting this special event: Oregon Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII, Oregon Dept. of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Dept., Keizer Police Dept. and Oregon State Police.

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At least one person was hospitalized with injuries after a Los Angeles bus accident on the 5 Freeway the morning of December 31, 2010. According to a CBS News report, the injury car accident occurred on the 5 Freeway at the 110 interchange when a car rear-ended the Greyhound bus, which was carrying 45 passengers. One person was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to the injured victim of this bus versus car accident. I hope he or she did not sustain catastrophic injuries. Please keep this individual in your thoughts and prayers.

Los Angeles Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 268 deaths and 25,588 injuries involving Los Angeles car accidents. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 667 people died and 52,229 were injured as a result of car accidents during the same year.

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Two people were injured in a Riverside car accident after a Riverside Transit Authority bus and a semi-truck collided. The injury accident occurred the morning of January 4, 2011 at the intersection of Market Street and Mission Inn Avenue. There were no passengers on the bus. Both the bus driver and the truck driver sustained injuries, which were described as non-life-threatening. Riverside Transit Authority officials say the bus had the green light as it entered the intersection, based on evidence from a surveillance camera onboard the bus. An investigation is ongoing.

It is indeed fortunate that both drivers involved escaped without major injuries. I wish them both the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 19 fatalities and 1,618 injuries involving car accidents were reported in the city of Riverside. Countywide, 220 people died and 8,561 were injured as a result of traffic accidents in 2008. Also, during the same year, there were 304 fatal truck accidents and 3,196 injury crashes involving trucks, in California.

Right-of-way Issues

Based on this news report, it appears that the accident occurred at an intersection, which is controlled by traffic lights. Transit authority officials say their bus driver, a 20-year veteran with a good record, entered the intersection on a green light. If that is true, then the truck driver either failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection or ran a red light.

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Sheena Marie Barker, 52, was killed in a pedestrian accident in Palo Alto after she was struck by a County SamTrans bus. According to a news report in The Palo Alto Patch, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Webster Street and University Avenue in Palo Alto the morning of December 30, 2010. The Cupertino woman was using the crosswalk when a bus making a left-hand turn struck her. Barker died at the scene of the accident. An investigation is ongoing.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Sheena Marie Barker. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic pedestrian accident.

Santa Clara Pedestrian Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person was killed and 24 were injured in Palo Alto pedestrian accidents. During that same year, there were 22 fatalities and 466 injuries reported as a result of pedestrian accidents in Santa Clara County.

What Caused This Fatal Pedestrian Accident?

It appears, based on the news account, Barker was in a crosswalk at the time of this pedestrian versus bus accident. All motorists are required under California law to yield right-of-way to pedestrians who are walking in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

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Six people were injured in a San Francisco car accident involving two passenger cars and a UC San Francisco shuttle bus. According to a news report in The San Francisco Examiner, the car accident occurred the morning of December 16, 2010 at the intersection of Potrero Avenue and 22nd Street in San Francisco. Police say that a car rear-ended another car, which was then forced into the back of the UC San Francisco shuttle bus. The drivers of both cars were hospitalized and four passengers on the shuttle bus sustained minor injuries. Police do not believe that alcohol or speeding played a role in this car accident.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many victims of this San Francisco car accident. I wish them all a speedy and complete recovery.

San Francisco Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 35 people were killed and 3,577 were injured in San Francisco car accidents.

Continue reading "San Francisco Car Accident Involving Shuttle Bus Causes Injuries" »

Three people were injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which involved a car and a Los Angeles Department of Transportation bus. According to a report in the Pasadena Star-News, the injury accident occurred the morning of November 16, 2010, when a Nissan Maxima and the commuter bus struck each other near an apartment building at the intersection of Cordova Street and Madison Avenue in Pasadena. The bus driver and a passenger in the bus were transported to a local hospital as was the driver of the Nissan. The impact from the collision caused the bus to jump the curb and hit a decorative wall outside the apartment building, but there were no other injuries or damages.

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An MTA bus driver and three passengers were injured in a Los Angeles car accident the night of October 18, 2010. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the injury car versus bus accident happened near the intersection of Los Feliz Boulevard and Revere Avenue in the Atwater Village area. All four victims were hospitalized with injuries, which are believed to be non-life-threatening.

My thoughts and prayers are with the driver and the passengers injured in this bus accident. I wish them all the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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Two teenagers -- 15-year-old Jessica Brinker, a John F. Hodge High School student, and 19-year-old Daniel Schatz -- were killed in a St. Louis Missouri school bus accident the morning of August 5, 2010. According to a news report in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, two school buses filled with high school band members heading to the Six Flags amusement park crashed with a semi-truck and another pickup truck on the Interstate 44. Brinker was in the last row of one of the school buses, while Schatz was driving the pickup truck.

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Eleven children were injured in a San Diego school bus accident after the bus they were in crashed into a light pole in East County. According to a news report in the Union-Tribune, 10 children were transported to hospitals with minor to moderate injuries. The students, who are fifth graders from a school in Yuma, Arizona, were on their way to a field trip at Balboa Park. The collision occurred the morning of May 18, 2010 in the main parking lot of the Golden Acorn Casino on the Campo Reservation where the bus had stopped so the students could stretch their legs. California Highway Patrol officials are trying to determine what caused this crash.

My heart goes out to these children who sustained injuries in this crash. I sincerely hope none of the injuries was serious. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Six people were killed in a tour bus accident early morning on March 5, 2010 after the bus struck another passenger vehicle and rolled over on the Interstate 10 south of Phoenix. According to an Associated Press news report, at least 15 others were injured including two 11-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Two men and four women were killed. The bus was carrying 21 passengers. Officials said the bus was westbound on the interstate when the driver lost control, went off the roadway and rolled over.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the six deceased victims in this crash. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved them. My thoughts and prayers are also with the 15 injured victims. I wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

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A student sustained injuries in a San Diego car accident after a school bus collided with a car at a street intersection. San Diego 6 reports that the accident occurred the morning of January 29, 2010 at the intersection of Carlton Oaks Drive and West Hills Parkway in the city of Santee. Authorities said they were six other students on board the school bus, but all others were uninjured.

My heart goes out to this student who has sustained injuries in this school bus accident. I wish this victim the very best for a speedy and full recovery and hope the injuries were not major. This young victim will be in my prayers.

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