DNA Test Required to I.D. Auburn Crash Victim
I’m Ed Smith, an Auburn Car Accident Lawyer. The Coroner from Placer County must resort to DNA testing to identify the remains of a driver found dead in a severe Auburn car fire that occurred Monday, October 23.
My team and I extend our condolences to the family and friends of the individual who perished in this awful accident.
What Happened?
At 2:38 p.m. on Monday afternoon, an unidentified driver was in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix that had been registered in Sacramento. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the car crashed in a rural area of Auburn just west of Interstate 80 and south of Dry Creek Road. The car was traveling down Bowman Road when the driver veered off the street and crashed into a tree at a turn in the road. The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle and died either in the wreck or after the car caught fire.
The identifying features of the driver have all been burned away in the intense blaze, making it impossible to identify the driver through the usual coroner’s methods. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has a suspected victim and have informed the family of the incident. To be sure of the individual’s identity the DNA of the victim is being tested by the Placer County coroner. The family of the suspected victim will have to wait to get definitive results as the process is estimated to take about two months to confirm the DNA match between the victim and the suspect.
DNA Identification
Postmortem identification has come a long way in the past 50 years. The standard procedures are fingerprinting and dental records, the latter is the preferred method for burn victims because of its low cost and relatively quick results. In some cases when neither of these main methods are viable, the authorities can take a sample of human tissues such as skin, blood, or even bone marrow from the victim and test the DNA.
In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys developed a method of DNA identification- DNA profiling- that is currently the most widely used method today. Geneticists have determined that our DNA is 99.9% identical with any other person, but there are still enough detectable variations in every individual (aside from identical twins) to accurately identify someone.
Auburn Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, an Auburn Car Accident Lawyer. If someone you love has been hurt or killed in an accident because of the negligence of another person my heart goes out to you. Please call me today for compassionate, free and friendly advice at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400. I am also available online at AutoAccident.com.
I have dedicated the last 35 years to helping Northern Californians, including those in Auburn, recover after accidents. My clients have posted reviews of their experiences working with me on: Yelp, Avvo, Google.
AutoAccident.com is a website I created as a resource for those needing information on car accident, wrongful death, personal injury, and many other legal areas.
You can also find me on milliondollaradvocates.com as a trial lawyer who has won cases worth one million dollars or more.
