Los Angeles Injury Attorney Blog

A 39-year-old Monterey man sadly died Wednesday night, a few hours after he was severely injured in a rollover accident on Highway 46 in Kern County, the CHP reported. The accident occurred on Hwy 46, just west of Highway 33, around 7:30 p.m. Officials said Elliot Mora, 39, was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck eastbound on the Highway, when for unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle. The truck overturned numerous times, and Mora was ejected. He suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Kern Medical Center. He died at 11:10 p.m., ABC News said.

Cause of the Fatal Highway 46 Crash

The CHP is investigating the cause of the crash. Based on the information provided in news reports, it was unclear why Elliot Mora lost control of the vehicle. At this point there are only questions as to what occurred. What happened, who was responsible, and could anything have been done to prevent this tragic fatal accident? The CHP reported that alcohol or drug use was not suspected to be a factor in the August 18th accident.

Solo Vehicle Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability

Solo-occupant, solo-vehicle fatality accidents raise a number of questions as to why a crash occurred and who was responsible. Did the accident occur because of the driver, a defect in the vehicle, or the condition of the road? In cases such as this one, where the cause of a crash is unclear, the family members of the victim would be well-advised to talk to a knowledgeable California wrongful death lawyer about the fatal accident and the unique liability issues involved. An attorney can look at the accident report, and if necessary, arrange to have the vehicle, as well as the location of the crash, inspected. If negligence was a factor in the accident, the family may be entitled to compensation for their loss, including damages for funeral and burial expenses, the decedent's future lost earnings, and loss of love, care and companionship.

Continue reading "Monterey Man Killed in Truck Rollover Crash on Highway 46 " »

The victim of a fatal crash on Highway 46 Friday evening has been identified as Aaron Salgado, 26, of Shandon, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported Tuesday. Salgado had stopped in the eastbound lane of Highway 46 (Green Valley Road) to pull into his driveway when his 1987 Honda Civic was rear-ended by a 1998 Toyota Avalon driven by Justin Sharp, 22, of Grover Beach. The collision occurred around 6 p.m. Friday. The impact of the crash pushed Salgado's Honda into westbound lanes, where it was struck by a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck pulling a trailer.

Salgado died at the scene of the crash. Sharp suffered moderate injuries. The driver of the Dodge truck, a 33-year-old Tulare Man, and four passenger in his vehicle suffered minor injuries.

The CHP reported that the driver of the Avalon, Justin Sharp, 22, of Grover Beach, was travelling at an unsafe speed when he rear-ended Salgado's vehicle. Sharp will be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, Channel 12 News reported. The cause of the fatal May 28th Paso Robles crash remains under investigation.

Continue reading "Shandon Man Killed in Highway 46 Crash; Speeding Driver Arrested " »

A horrific crash on Highway 46 just west of Lost Hills Monday night left three people dead and two other seriously injured, the California Highway Patrol reported. The accident occurred on State Route 46, just east of Brown Material Road near the San Louis Obispo County Line at about 7:30 p.m., and involved an eastbound Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and a westbound GMC Safari Van. According to reports in the Taft Midway Driller, the CHP believes that the Jeep crossed from eastbound lanes into oncoming traffic, where it collided with the GMC Safari Van.

Injuries and Fatalities

The driver of the Jeep, an 18-year-old Lafayette woman, and the 51-year-old driver and 71-year-old right rear passenger in the van, two men from the Salinas area, were all pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men, a 32-year-old Los Angeles man and another man from Vancouver, Washington, were seriously injured and pulled from the van as it started to catch fire. One was flown to Kern Medical Center and another was taken there by ambulance.

Highway 46 "Blood Alley"

According to a November 2009 article in the Salinas Californian, there had been 453 crashes on Highway 46 in Kern County since January 2004. Twenty of those accidents involved at least one fatality. In Kern County, Highway 46 and Highway 223 are the two state routes with the highest ration of accidents to fatalities. The currently is being widened to four lanes, which is expected to be completed in mid 2012. In February, one person was killed and five were injured in a Hwy 46 head-on crash near Annette Road. On New Years Day, three people died in a head-on crash on Highway 46 just eastbound of the San Luis Obispo - Kern County Line. The at-fault driver in that collision was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Continue reading "Three Killed, Two Seriously Injured in Highway 46 Head-On Collision " »

California State Route 46 was closed between Highway 41 and Highway 43 east of the San Luis Obispo County Line in Kern County after a major injury crash shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday night, authorities reported. The head-on collision, which left one person dead and five people injured, occurred near Anette Road. Twenty-one-year-old Sandy Blake Roberts, 21, of Hollywood, Florida died at a hospital following the crash, which involved a westbound 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and a eastbound 2005 Chrysler Sebring.

Roberts was a passenger in the Sebring, which was driven by 20-year-old Nicole C. Deane. Authorities believe Deane was passing another vehicle when she lost control of her car while moving back into the eastbound lane. Deane then collided head-on with the Silverado truck, driven by Luis Carlos Mosqueda, 28, or King City. Mosqueda and three passengers in the truck, Karla E. Reyes, 30, Manuel Mosqueda, 55, and Maria Mosqueda, 54, suffered injuries ranging from moderate to major. All occupants of the Silverado were taken to Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield. Deane suffered major injuries and was taken to Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. We hope that everyone injured in this collision makes a full and quick recovery, and our sympathy goes out to everyone who knew and loved the young man who died in this tragic accident. The driver of the Sebring and all of the passengers injured the accident would be well-advised to speak with a California highway accident attorney who can explain their legal rights in this situation. The victims may be entitled to compensation for their injuries, including damages for medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering. The family of the passenger killed in this accident may also consider speaking with a California wrongful death lawyer about protecting their rights under a wrongful death claim.

Three people were killed in a head-on crash on Highway 46 on New Years Day. The fatal accident occurred just after 10 a.m. on Friday, January 1, 20910 in Kern County, just eastbound of the San Luis Obispo - Kern County Line.

According to California Highway Patrol reports, Herculano Hernandez, 23, of Delano, driving a 2000 Ford eastbound on Highway 47, rear-ended a Honda travelling in front of it. The collision sent the Honda into westbound lanes, causing it to crash head-on into a westbound truck. Hernandez was not injured in the crash and was arrested at the scene. He faces charges of felony driving under the influence causing injuries or death.

The victims in the Honda included a 21-year-old Shandon man and his 49-year-old mother. Both died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the truck, a 71-year-old Bakersfield man, was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where he died. His 68-year-old wife was taken to Twin Cities Community Hospital with major injuries.

KGET news reported that Hernandez had a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit and was probably speeding. In a jailhouse interview, Hernandez admitted to drinking earlier that morning with friends. The CHP also said that Hernandez had a prior DUI conviction, and when arrested, had been driving without a license.

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