A crash Wednesday afternoon involving a Saturn sedan and a big-rig truck left a family of five from Los Osos with serious injuries, KEYT News reported. According to reports, the driver of a big rig truck hauling 14,000 pounds of citrus and vegetables had pulled over to inspect his vehicles braking system. The truck driver pulled onto the northbound shoulder of the highway.
The sedan collided with the rear-end of the trailer near Mussel Shoals Road at 1:50 p.m., and was wedged under the back of the big rig. According to the Daily Sound, the truck driver and a good Samaritan off duty firefighter helped pull three children, a 2-year-old boy a 4-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old girl out of the back of the vehicle. Their parents, identified by the Ventura County Star as Christopher and Vanessa Dunne of Los Osos, remained trapped in their vehicle for nearly an hour.
A CHP officer said that the fire department had to use "extreme extrication procedures" to remove the parents. A helicopter landed on the highway and took the father to the hospital. The others were taken to the hospital by ground ambulance. The driver of the truck was not hurt. Our hearts go out to the Dunne family and we hope they all make a full recovery from their serious injuries.
Cause of the Crash
The facts reported in the news do not explain what happened, and at this point, there are really more questions than answers. It is not clear if the semi-truck was partly on the roadway, and whether it was parked legally. Also at issue is whether the underride protection bar (also known as a rear-impact guard or DOT bumper) met Department of Transportation requirements. The laws that govern rear-impact protection on tractor-trailer trucks can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations ยง571.224 Standard No. 224. The purpose of this federal regulation is to "reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries occurring when light duty vehicles impact the rear of trailers and semitrailers with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kg (approximately 10,000 pounds) or more."
Truck Accident Personal Injury Liability Issues
Any accident that involves a big rig truck has unique legal issues when it comes to liability. In this situation, the family of the victims hurt in this accident would be well-advised to contact a California truck accident attorney as soon as possible, who can look into the issues of this May 26th accident, including the underride protection guard and the location of the parked big rig. An attorney can have the vehicle inspected and preserved for evidence, and help the family protect their legal rights in a possible personal injury claim, and if they have a claim, obtain maximum financial compensation for their medical expenses, any lost earnings, and emotional pain and suffering as a result of this devastating crash.
Sources: The Daily Sound, Ventura County Star, KEYT News, Noozhawk
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