Palm and Manzanita Avenues Site of Two-Vehicle Collision
A two-vehicle collision at a local intersection resulted in injuries for one of the people involved in the accident. The accident happened where Palm Avenue abuts Manzanita in Carmichael at approximately 5:40 in the evening. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that a male driver in a Toyota Prius suffered chest injuries. However, the other vehicle, described as a white Chevrolet Venture van, left the scene.
Chevy Venture Leaves Scene of Intersection Collision
Authorities said that they knew the Chevy Venture’s license plate number and that it was registered to an individual in North Highlands. The name of the owner was not released at this time. A tow truck was requested to remove the Toyota Prius.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
Whether a hit-and-run accident occurs in a parking lot or in an intersection, it is a serious infraction. Under California law, if someone is injured or killed in a two-vehicle collision and the at-fault driver flees the scene, it is considered a felony. Drivers who leave the scene can face jail time and fines.
Despite the penalties attached to a hit-and-run, the number of such incidents has increased markedly in the past few years. Some reasons for hit-and-runs are:
- The driver panics: This happens all too often, and the instinct to flee leads to a hit-and-run. Often, the driver will turn themselves into the police after they have a chance to think things over.
- Drunk drivers: Drunk drivers flee the scene because they are driving impaired.
- Uninsured vehicle: Millions of people drive without insurance and cannot pay the financial compensation they will owe.
- Stolen vehicles: A driver will leave the scene if the car they are driving is stolen.
- Company car: Drivers involved in an accident while driving a company-owned car will leave the scene rather than let their employer know.
- Warrants: Drivers who have warrants for parking tickets or other crimes often flee.
- Driver’s license: Someone who is driving without an up-to-date license or does not have one would rather flee than be fined or lose the right to be licensed in the future.
Assigning Fault in Intersection Accidents
Assigning fault can be relatively easy or difficult, depending on the circumstances. Let’s look at a few unusual situations:
- Vehicle backing into a street: In this type of accident, one vehicle is backing out of their driveway, and another is approaching the area on the road. Under California Vehicle Code 22106, a driver cannot enter a highway by backing up onto it unless it is safe. If he or she did not take this precaution, they would be at-fault for an accident.
- Four-way stop tricky call: Let’s say that two cars arrive at a four-way stop simultaneously with one pulling up seconds sooner than the other. They both head into the intersection at the same time and crash. Since most four-way stops do not have traffic surveillance cameras, it may be challenging to prove that one car did have the right of way. The general rule is that the vehicle on the right goes first. In this instance, this rule will probably be used to assign fault.
- Stalled vehicle in the intersection: While waiting for the light to turn green, a car stalls in an intersection. Another driver believes that the car has started to move and cannot stop in time to avoid hitting it. The driver to the rear would be at fault since he or she should be approaching at a speed that would have allowed them to stop in time. Also, they should have maintained a distance that would give them enough room to slow down.
Investigating a Two-Vehicle Collision
We dispatch our investigators to the scene of the accident to gather evidence of liability. The investigators and our legal team build a strong case for our client by:
- Interviewing witnesses
- Reviewing police reports for mistakes
- Using accident reconstruction techniques to determine fault
- Obtaining videos of the accident from cell phone and traffic surveillance cameras
- Building a case using the documented evidence
Auto Accident in Attorney in Sacramento
I am Ed Smith, and I am an auto accident attorney. If you are injured by a negligent party, reach out to me for free and friendly advice. Phone me at (916) 921-6400, (800) 404-5400 or use my convenient contact form on my website AutoAccident.com.
I’ve helped clients from Sacramento, Carmichael, and other Northern California areas obtain the compensation they deserve in car accidents, traumatic injuries and wrongful deaths.
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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/car-accident-broken-glass-splatter-337764/
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