Cap City Freeway Collision Turns Fatal
I’m Ed Smith, a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. A May 3 rear-end collision along Business 80 turned into a fatal one. A female driver who was involved in the crash was struck outside her vehicle and died. It was a confusing scene as authorities tried to sort out how the incident unfolded. A SigAlert was issued, and the road remained closed while police investigated the cause of the accident and the reason the woman was fatally injured.
I want to offer my prayers and sympathy to the family of the woman who lost her life in this tragic accident.
Accident Details
The crash was reported at 6:58 p.m. along the highway just north of the E Street on-ramp when a BMW, driven by a 28-year-old man, struck an Audi that was being operated by a woman in her 50s. Following the collision, which caused minor damage, the woman got out of her vehicle, and an altercation at the driver’s side of the BMW ensued.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), it was thought by someone at the scene that the BMW driver might have been trying to leave the scene. The woman reportedly held onto the window of the BMW as it began to move and was dragged along the highway, causing her significant injuries. The driver of the BMW cooperated with authorities following the crash. An ambulance, summoned to the scene, transported the injured woman to UC Davis, where she passed away. All northbound lanes of the Cap City Freeway were shut down at Elvas overcrossing for a period of time. Just after the crash, some traffic was reported to have been passing slowly along the center divider.
Road Rage
Road rage is defined as an extension of aggressive driving. According to California law enforcement, road rage and aggressive driving are different. The primary difference is that road rage is a criminal offense while aggressive driving is a traffic infraction. Some examples of aggressive driving are tailgating, driving more than the speed limit or too fast for inclement weather. Road rage, on the other hand, is assaulting another person with a motor vehicle or a weapon such as a gun. It is an intentional and wanton lack of caring about others’ safety on the road.
The incidence of Road Rage
The American Automobile Association (AAA) says that there are about 1,700 road rage accidents each year where individuals are killed or injured. The term road rage originated in California in 1988 when the state was experiencing an uptick in drive-by shootings in Los Angeles. Recently, the number of road rage incidents where a gun was used to assault another driver or the vehicle’s occupants have increased.
Is Road Rage a Mental Condition?
Medical professionals now refer to road rage as an intermittent explosive disorder (IED). It affects about 16 million Americans. According to the chairman of psychiatry at a Chicago university, IED involves sudden outbursts that are not in keeping with the magnitude of the event that triggered it. Aside from road rage, this behavioral and cognitive disorder is seen in child and spousal abuse. IED includes threats, property damage or aggressive acts. It is first seen in teenagers. Out of a survey of 9,282 people, approximately 7 percent were symptomatic of IED.
What Causes Intermittent Explosive Disorder?
According to experts in the field, the disorder is caused by insufficient amounts of serotonin. This chemical serves to regulate mood and control behavior. Drug or alcohol dependence is common with intermittent explosive disorder.
Treatment
Anger management or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to control IED. The disorder is not as well recognized as alcohol or drug dependence and is not treated in approximately 28 percent of the cases.
Deaths in Road Rage Accidents
Unfortunately, the number of deaths related to road rage has increased. Police have advice for those involved in such incidents to avoid being injured or killed:
- Do not engage: If you can, stay away from the road rage driver. Additionally, do not maintain eye contact.
- Don’t go home: If the driver is following you, don’t announce where you live.
- Do go to a police station: If there is a police station nearby, go there. Don’t get out of your vehicle, just honk your horn till someone comes out, or call the police from the car. Fire stations and hospitals work just as well.
- Never get out of the car: You may be angry, but getting out of the car to confront the driver can be a surefire way to be killed.
Wrongful Death Lawyer in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. If someone you love was killed or injured by road rage, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for friendly and free advice. I can be reached online too.
I’ve helped Sacramento residents with cases ranging from wrongful death to traumatic brain injury among others since 1982.
I am a California member of the Million Dollar Advocates, a nationwide group of trial lawyers who have won $1 million for clients.
You can learn about me and my law practice by clicking on any of the following links:
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