Rancho Cucamonga Woman Killed in Stater Bros. Parking Lot Accident
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A 55-year-old woman was tragically killed in an accident in a Stater Bros. parking lot Wednesday afternoon, the Press Enterprise and Contra Costa Times reported. According to news accounts, the victim, identified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner as Claudia Jaunzemis, was walking out of the shopping center at 19th Street and Archibald Avenue when the driver of an Astro Van parked in a handicapped spot was backing up. The driver of the van then accelerated forward and struck the parking stop and then onto a parked Oldsmobile. The force caused the van to tip over, onto Jaunzemis. Jaunzemis was rushed to San Antonio Community Hospital where she died at 3:05 p.m.. The driver of the Astro Van, Mary Mellard, 76, told investigators she does not remember anything. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries after being extricated from her van.
Cause of the April 27th Accident
Based on the news reports, it appears that Jaunzemis could have done nothing to avoid being struck. Hopefully, the investigation by the Sheriff's Department will reveal exactly what happened, and why. It is possible that this accident simply occurred because the driver was no longer capable of driving. As many accidents have demonstrated, medical conditions like dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease, poor vision, loss of sensation, and even prescription medications can contribute to serious accidents resulting in catastrophic injury or death caused by aging drivers.
Parking Lot Accident Liability
Pedestrians are occasionally victims of very serious accidents in parking lots. Last year, a 40-year-old man was run over by a 86-year-old driver in the parking lot of a Costco Warehouse store in San Diego, and suffered major injuries. (Estey Bomberger is representing the victim in that case). Store parking lot pedestrian accidents have unique legal issues, and more than one party may be responsible. Following an accident such as this one, the family members of the victim would be well-advised to speak with a California wrongful death attorney about the family's rights in a wrongful death claim. The victim's family may be entitled to damages from whoever is responsible for their loss, including final medical care costs, funeral and burial expenses, lost earnings, and loss of love, care, affection and companionship.
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CANOGA PARK - Police are working to find a hit-and-run motorist who fled the scene after striking a 17-year-old boy Wednesday night in Canoga Park. The victim, German Alex Romero, of Reseda, was riding his bicycle with a friend on northbound De Soto Avenue near Valerio Street, when he was struck from behind by a vehicle at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Romero, a senior at Chatsworth High School, died at the scene of the crash; his friend was not injured. 
VISALIA - A rider and passenger on a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle were taken to a hospital following a collision with a sport utility vehicle Monday afternoon, the Visalia Times-Delta reported. The accident was reported at about 2:45 p.m. on Mineral King Avenue near Cain Street. It is unclear why the accident occurred or who was responsible. The cause of the April 18th Visalia motorcycle accident remains under investigation. 
SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS - Two people were flown to Desert Regional Medical Center following a car accident Tuesday afternoon on Highway 74 (Pines to Palms Highway), the Southwest Riverside News Network reported. The accident was reported at 4:25 p.m., about a half-mile east of Highway 371 in Garner Valley, near Anza. It is unclear what exactly happened, who was at fault, or how seriously the two people were injured. The cause of the April 12th Riverside County crash remains under investigation. 
RIVERSIDE COUNTY - A car accident involving three vehicles left six people injured, the Southwest Riverside News Network reported. The accident was reported at 3:11 p.m. on April 10, 2011 at the intersection of Citrus Avenue and Wilson Avenue in Perris. According to Cal Fire reports, one person with moderate injuries had to be extricated from a vehicle. Others were taken to local hospitals with injuries ranging from moderate to minor. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. 
MIRA LOMA - A 51-year-old old Pasadena woman died Monday morning in a solo-vehicle collision on Interstate 15 in Riverside County, just south of the Ontario city limits, the San Bernardino Sun reported. The victim, Alta Marie Chriss, had been driving southbound on I-15 near the 60 Freeway interchange, when for unknown reasons, her vehicle went off the roadway, struck a guardrail, and overturned. Chriss, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was not reported wearing a seat belt and died of her injuries at 8:14 a.m. The cause of the April 11th accident remains under investigation by the CHP-Riverside Office. 
GRANADA HILLS - A crash early Thursday morning on the eastbound 118 (Ronald Reagan) Freeway left one person seriously injured, the Los Angeles Times reported. The accident happened just after 5 a.m. west of Woodley Avenue, and involved a truck and a car. All eastbound lanes of the freeway were shut down for about 45 minutes. Further details of the accident were not available; the cause of the April 7th 118 Freeway crash remains under investigation. Based on the limited information provide in news accounts, it was not clear why the accident occurred. 
LONG BEACH - 22-year-old Dana Acosta of Anaheim died following a suspected DUI accident late Friday night in Long Beach, the Long Beach Post reported. The incident was reported at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Wardlow Road at about 11:44 p.m. on Friday, April 1st. Heriberto Cervantes, 29, of Los Angeles, was driving a 1991 Toyota Camry north on Atlantic Avenue without his headlights on when he ran a red light at Wardlow. He swerved to avoid colliding with a 2005 Toyota Scion that was crossing the intersection on a green light. The Camry spun out of control and crash into a palm tree. Cervantes suffered multiple serious injuries to his upper body and was hospitalized. His passenger, Dana Acosta, died of her injuries shortly after arrival at the hospital. Cervantes also arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving, driving on a suspended license, and gross vehicular manslaughter. 
ORANGE COUNTY - The OC Register reported an 18-year-old Ladera Ranch man tragically died early Sunday morning, about five hours following a collision on the 57 Freeway. Cameron Cook, the victim, was a passenger in a 2001 Chevrolet Camaro travelling northbound on the 57 Freeway, south of Katella Avenue. For reasons still unknown, the Camaro was involved in a solo traffic collision. According to the CHP, the vehicle came to rest facing north on the right shoulder, partly blocking the No. 5 lane. The driver, an 18-year-old San Juan Capistrano man, and Cook exited the vehicle. 
