Intersection Crash Kills One Person and Seriously Injures Another
An intersection crash on Wednesday, October 28, in North Highlands resulted in a passenger’s death and seriously injured the driver of an Audi. Reports say that the Audi was being pursued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for a traffic infraction just prior to the intersection crash. Upon entering the intersection of Myrtle and Watt avenues at about 1:20 in the early morning hours, the Audi hit two vehicles.
Additional Details of the Intersection Crash
Both the Audi driver and a passenger, who has yet to be identified, were thrown from the vehicle. The passenger died at the scene and was pronounced dead. The driver suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The authorities are currently investigating the case to determine what happened and why. No one else was hurt in the intersection crash.
Losing Someone in a Car Accident
Whether the driver or passenger, wrongful death is a common factor in intersection accidents. The family has to face the loss of a loved one and must deal with the anger and grief they feel. One way to seek justice for a loved one is to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Other ways to help a grieving family are:
- Call and express your condolences or send flowers or a donation to the deceased’s favorite charity.
- Bring food to the home since many times the family will not think about eating.
- Offer to do needed chores such as mowing the lawn, shopping or picking up medical prescriptions.
- Offer to go with the bereaved to the funeral home to make final arrangements.
- Keep in touch after the funeral. This can be a difficult time for family members who are grieving.
Intersection Crashes
Intersections are a prime location for accidents. This is partly due to the complexity of an intersection. In a year’s time, over 2.5 million intersection crashes occur. According to the Federal Highway Administration, roughly 50 percent of all accidents involve an intersection. This includes both fatal and injury-based accidents. Intersection accidents occur so often that they are right behind rear-ended crashes in frequency.
Conditions That Lead to an Intersection Crash
The following are common causes of an intersection crash:
- Tailgating: When one driver follows another too closely in an intersection, chances are that an accident will occur. This commonly happens when the lead vehicle is poised at a traffic light. Tailgating is dangerous since the impact can cause head and neck injuries, commonly called whiplash. The symptoms can last up to 12 months or more in some individuals.
- Erratically changing lanes: In an effort to arrive at their destination as quickly as possible, some drivers are constantly changing lanes, sometimes without signaling that they intend to do so. The vehicles already in the lane often have nowhere to go, and a collision cannot be averted.
- Speeding or changing speed constantly: Again, this is due to drivers who are trying to reach a destination quickly. Stop and go speeding is, in many cases, a form of aggressive driving. Speeding itself is an aggressive maneuver where a driver has little concern for those with whom they share the intersection. This includes pedestrians as well as other motorists.
- Not yielding the right of way: Poor distance judgment and reckless driving causes a driver to not yield the right of way to another vehicle or pedestrian. Drivers who do this have a high risk of causing an intersection accident.
- Improper turns: Making a U-turn in an area where they are not permitted is a common cause of intersection accidents.
- Failure to obey traffic signs and signals: The number one cause of an intersection crash is a driver who runs a red light. This puts other drivers in danger who do have the right of way. Each year, approximately 165,000 accidents are caused by a driver who disregards a red light, in addition to roughly 800 fatalities.
Investigating an Intersection Crash
Our investigative team is experienced in determining the cause of an intersection accident. We dispatch them to the scene of the accident where they perform investigatory techniques to achieve this. Our investigators interview witnesses and review police reports for mistakes.
They also use accident reconstruction to reenact the placement of the vehicles before, during and after the crash. Before turning the data over to our attorneys, the investigators also obtain a video of the crash from traffic surveillance cameras and other sources.
North Highlands Wrongful Death Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, and I am a North Highlands wrongful death lawyer. If a member of your family died as a result of negligence, call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for compassionate, free and friendly advice. You can also contact me online.
As an injury lawyer, I’ve helped clients receive compensation in all types of accidents, including pedestrian and other types of trauma.
I am proud to be a member of the following organizations:
Learn more about my practice on the pages listed below:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-open-candle-candlelight-1926414/
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