Eureka Man Dies in Highway Accident
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka wrongful death lawyer. On Monday, October 30, 2017, a Eureka man lost his life after being involved in an automobile collision on a state highway.
Accident Info
According to a press release issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the collision occurred at around 8:54 p.m. on State Route 299 close to mile post marker 10. Responding officers said that they located both a 2003 Ford F-250 and a 2015 Fabform bumper-pull trailer at the site of the crash. Both the truck and the trailer were found on their roofs.
Initial investigation of the scene reportedly revealed that the truck had been pulling the two-axle dump trailer while driving westbound when the driver of the truck made an unsafe righthand turn for unknown reasons. The turn reportedly caused the vehicle and trailer to drive off of the roadway and onto the north shoulder of the highway where they collided with an upward sloping embankment of dirt.
Reportedly, the force of the collision caused the truck to overturn, which caused the trailer to overturn along with it. Both the truck and the trailer came to a stop blocking both westbound lanes of the highway.
Injuries and Response
Personnel from both the Humboldt CHP and the Blue Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident. Responders found that the driver of the vehicle had sustained fatal injuries during the collision and declared him deceased on-scene. The exact nature of the man’s injuries was not reported, but officers noted that the man had been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office officially identified the deceased as Daniel Ryan Cox, a 40-year-old resident of Eureka.
Our heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to the friends and family of Mr. Cox during this difficult time.
Investigation
CHP is currently investigating this tragic accident in order to better understand what caused the driver to make his fatal right turn. Officers have not reported what factors they suspect to have contributed to the collision
Official Warning
CHP included a warning to drivers in the report regarding the incident. The warning advised that drivers be cautious in coming weeks with the onset of inclement weather. Drivers in rainy or snowy conditions were warned to slow down, leave extra space between their vehicle and vehicles driving ahead of them, allow extra time to arrive at destinations, gently apply brakes in order to avoid skidding, and open windows a bit in stalled traffic in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Drivers were also advised to keep a bad weather checklist and refer to it before driving in bad weather conditions. According to CHP, this checklist should include; tires with plenty of tread, a washer full of fluid, a full gas tank, a functioning defroster, windshield wipers in working order, tire chains and tighteners, flares, a small shovel, a windshield scraper, and a flashlight with extra batteries.
Drivers should also always remember to make routine inspections of their vehicles in order to spot malfunctioning parts.
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Eureka Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka wrongful death lawyer. Have you or a loved one been injured in a motor vehicle accident? Please contact me at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice with no obligation. You can also reach me online via my website, AutoAccident.com.
I have been serving the Eureka and Greater California community for over 35 years, helping injured people and their families recover after accidents. Find out more about my practice from my client’s reviews on Avvo, Yelp, and Google.
I’m in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a nationwide association of trial lawyers who have obtained one or more verdicts or settlements worth $1,000,000 or more.
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