Brentwood Wrong-Way Accident Injures Eight
A wrong-way driver injured eight people in a car accident on Highway 4. On 15 July, a 1994 Honda Accord traveling the wrong direction on Highway 4 collided head-on with a 2015 Honda Odyssey. The accident occurred on the westbound side of Highway 4 between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road.
Witnesses report that the Accord was speeding as it passed by several vehicles while traveling the wrong way, before the accident. The Accord then struck the Odyssey at one side of a curve in the road. As a result, the driver of the Odyssey did not have enough time to avoid the accident. Two people were in the Accord and seven people were in the Odyssey.
Details of the Emergency Response
The accident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. and the first emergency responders were on scene by 8:07 p.m. Upon arrival, first responders immediately called for more ambulances. Arriving paramedics then called for two helicopters to transport the more severely injured victims.
The Accord rolled onto its roof after striking the Odyssey. Fire crews, therefore, had to use the jaws of life to extricate the driver and the passenger from the vehicle.
Children Injured in the Accident
A two-year-old girl and a ten-year-old girl both sustained minor injuries in the accident. Paramedics also treated a one-year-old baby girl as a precaution. Although she did not present with injuries, first responders still decided to transport the baby to a nearby hospital for a doctor’s examination.
Ambulances transported all three children to a hospital alongside the adults that sustained minor injuries.
Adults Injured in the Accident
Three adults in the Odyssey suffered mild to moderate injuries. Most of them reported neck pain and generalized back pain. Ambulances transported these three victims. Authorities identified these victims as a 30-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman, and a 72-year old woman from San Francisco.
A fourth adult in the Odyssey, though, sustained major injuries. A helicopter transported that victim to the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where she is in stable conduction. The CHP identified that victim as a 61-year-old woman, also from San Francisco.
The most severely injured person involved in this accident was a 22-year-old passenger in the Honda Accord. A helicopter transported that victim to Eden Hospital in Dublin where he is now in stable condition.
Finally, the male driver of the Accord sustained minor injuries. John Muir Medical Center treated and released that man shortly after his arrival at the hospital.
Accord Driver Arrested
After being released from the hospital, authorities charged the driver of the Accord with several crimes. These crimes include felony driving under the influence, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving without a license or car insurance, and driving the wrong way on a highway.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is still finishing its investigation, though, so more charges may follow. CHP investigators are asking people with additional information to please come forward.
Timeline of Criminal Activity
Based on witness and CHP reports, the driver of the Accord caused the car accident in the middle of a string of crimes. Authorities report that the driver stole a Honda Accord from Concord earlier on 15 July. The driver then became intoxicated and continued driving. In his impaired state, the driver then drove on the wrong way of the highway. He narrowly avoided several other accidents before striking a Honda Odyssey filled with a family of 7.
This driver is likely liable for all damages sustained in the accident. Contact a Brentwood personal injury lawyer for more information on how to file a claim for damages.
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Brentwood Personal Injury Lawyer
I am Ed Smith and I am a Brentwood personal injury lawyer. When an accident involving the carelessness of another motorist injures you or a loved one, I encourage you to call me at (925) 428-5220 or (800) 404-5400 for some free and friendly advice.
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