Parked Car Crash in Napa
On the morning of Thursday, September 30, 2021, a parked car crash resulted in road closures and injuries to the occupants of the involved vehicles. The crash occurred in Napa, California.
Details of the Parked Car Crash
At approximately 11:35 a.m., Napa police officers were dispatched to the vicinity of Imperial Way and Soscal Avenue. Witnesses reported that a vehicle had rolled over. When they arrived at the scene, they began an investigation into the details of the accident. It was determined that a Lexus had been traveling south on Soscal and was making a left turn onto Imperial when it struck a parked vehicle. The vehicle that the Lexus struck was a convertible BMW. Because of the impact of the crash, the Lexus topped over onto its side.
In both of the two involved vehicles, there was one person in each who required medical attention. Both were transported via ambulance (provided by American Medical Response) to Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center. According to reports from the Napa Police, neither party suffered severe injuries.
Road Closures After the Crash
The police investigation into the cause of the crash necessitated the closure of Imperial Way. For a short period of time (less than one hour), one lane of Soscal Avenue was also blocked off from traffic.
What to Do After a Parked Car Crash
This parked car crash that occurred in Napa was unusual because there was a person occupying the parked car. Most of the time, when there is a collision involving a parked car, that vehicle is empty. Below is a list of things to do if you hit an unoccupied parked car:
- Stay at the scene and try to find the owner. Do not hit a parked car and leave without taking any action. This is against the law.
- If you cannot locate the owner of the car you crashed into, leave a note on the vehicle’s windshield. According to the California Vehicle Code, the note needs to be left in a conspicuous location. The note should include:
- Your name and contact information.
- An explanation of what happened – be aware that anything in the note will be used against you so keep it brief and to the point.
- Once the owner of the vehicle gets in touch with you, you can then exchange insurance information or you can write down your insurance information within the note.
- Take photographs. Take pictures of the damage to both vehicles as well as photos of the license plate of the car you hit. This documents the damage you did and may protect you from having to pay for other non-related damage.
- If there are witnesses, get their contact information and a statement from them about what they saw.
- Call your insurance. Report the incident to your insurance company so that when the other party calls to open a claim, the company is aware of the circumstances and already has your statement of facts on file. The property damage liability portion of your insurance policy will pay for the damage to the other vehicle. If you carry collision coverage, you can go through that to have your own vehicle repaired if you choose to do so. Your decision to have your car repaired through your insurance may depend on factors such as the extent of the damage, and the amount of your deductible.
- Be aware that your insurance premiums may rise following this at-fault incident.
Watch the YouTube video. The news clip below discusses leaving a note if you hit an unoccupied parked car.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Napa
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa personal injury attorney. If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, call our injury lawyers for free and friendly advice at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400.
Photo: by Elena Kuchko on Unsplash
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