Accident in Winters Occurs When Pickup Crashes Into Putah Creek
An accident near Vacaville on July 3 occurred when a pickup carrying two teenagers returning from a quinceañera celebration the night before exited the roadway and ended up in Putah Creek in Winters. Solano County Sheriff’s Office deputies received the call about the crash just after midnight near Canal Lane close to Lake Solano County Park.
One Teen Found While the Other Remains Missing
When officers arrived, they spotted a red pickup that was submerged in the creek. A young man who was injured was found around 70 yards downstream from where the pickup entered the water after the accident. He told officers his friend had not exited the truck. The teenager who was located on the side of the creek was identified as Julio Vasquez.
Massive Search Conducted for Missing Teen After Accident in Winters
Firefighters with the Vacaville Fire Protection District tried to get to the vehicle but could not. The dive team with the sheriff’s office arrived at the scene to conduct a search as the deputies searched along the shoreline. When the dive team reached the pickup, they found no one inside. That same morning the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office joined in the search for the missing teen, identified as Eduardo Fierros, who graduated from Winters High School this year. Family, friends, and volunteers came to the site on Monday to help search and stand vigil. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family of Eduardo Fierros to help with final resting expenses.
Cell Phone App Tracked Teens During Real Time
Fierros had shared a real time cell phone app with others showing their locations and times of arrival and departure. The app showed the vehicle was going west along Putah Creek Road, headed to Pleasants Valley Road. The vehicle reached that point and then turned around to go back toward Winters. As it was going east along Putah Creek Road, the pickup exited the roadway, struck a tree, and went into the creek.
Search Changed to Recovery Operation
The search for Fierros changed to a search and recovery operation, according to authorities. That operation was expected to be suspended if nothing further was found.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim
If the loss of your loved one occurred because the driver was negligent, the family has the right to recover damages. Although filing for wrongful death cannot ease the grief you feel, it can help cover the funeral and burial expenses and other losses. When your child dies as a result of someone else’s act of negligence, the family may be able to recover the following:
- The cost of the funeral and burial can be recovered.
- If the offspring worked, the family may recover the loss of their future potential earnings until they would have reached retirement age.
- The family may be able to recover compensation for the loss of companionship, affection and love the deceased provided.
Using Insurance to Recover Accident Damages
When Californians elect to obtain auto insurance, they are always offered the ability to take an add-on policy that covers uninsured/underinsured drivers. That policy can be used to recover damages when someone dies from a collision. This insurance can be used if the at-fault party had no insurance or didn’t carry enough to cover the damages. Your own uninsured/underinsured policy can provide additional coverage if the compensation is not sufficient to cover the damages. Using the uninsured/underinsured policy does not affect the future premiums.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Vacaville
I’m Ed Smith, a Vacaville personal injury lawyer. When you’ve lost a loved one because a driver was negligent, you might want to find out about filing a claim for wrongful death. You can contact us at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach us online.
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Photo attribution: Image by Rico Löb from Pixabay
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