New Video of Fatal I-80 Crash
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer. The recent multi-vehicle crash that left two people dead and two more in critical condition last Friday has had a new development. Personal dashcam footage revealing the moments leading up to the collision has surfaced- calling into question initial reports of the sequence of events.
Community Says Goodbye
The two people killed in the tragic I-80 crash near the Madison Avenue off ramp were Bennie Harriel and her 15 year old grandson, a Del Paso Heights Pop Warner youth football player. Friends, family and community members honored the victims by releasing balloons and creating a memorial for the young man and his grandmother. The boy’s football jersey number has been retired in memory of the young man.
A third occupant in their vehicle, another young person and member of the football team, survived but sustained critical injuries and is still recovering in a hospital.
Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragic accident. A fundraiser to help the family with burial expenses can be found here.
New Evidence
Initial California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports had suggested that the vehicle Harriel and the two boys were traveling in had experienced a malfunction and was stalled in the middle of the freeway before being rear ended, setting off a chain reaction that involved 8 vehicles. The CHP’s early press release was based on information provided by another driver involved in the multi vehicle accident, now contrasted by a released dash cam footage.
A Modesto couple traveling along I-80 managed to capture footage of Harriel’s Hyundai Sonata just moments before the crash. The vehicle is clearly shown pulled over in the left shoulder with its hazard lights on, contrary to the statement released by the truck driver who collided with the Hyundai and later reported it as disabled with no lights on.
CHP has not commented on the video but have confirmed that they are reviewing it.
Related Articles by Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer Ed Smith
- Big Rig Rollover Closes Lanes of I-80 Due to Roadway Debris
- Installing a Dash Cam
- Fatal Crash on Madison Avenue in Sacramento
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Car Accident Attorney. If you or someone you love has been hurt or even killed in an accident because of the negligence of another party, please call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for compassionate, free, and friendly advice. You can also reach me online at AutoAccident.com.
For over thirty years I have served the Sacramento and Northern California community as an injury lawyer helping people recover after an accident. If you would like to know more about my practice, please review some of my past clients comments on Avvo, Yelp and Google.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Forum. This forum is reserved for trial lawyers who have obtained case verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Dashcams by Fernost. Public Domain.
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