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Three-Vehicle Crash on State Route 51 in Sacramento

Home » Three-Vehicle Crash on State Route 51 in Sacramento
August 17, 2020
Edward Smith

Sedan Blocks Two Lanes on S.R. 51 North of Howe Avenue

A three-vehicle crash on State Route 51 in Sacramento caused an injury to one person on August 13 as a driver fled the scene. The accident happened just north of the Howe Avenue exit ramp around 8:54 in the evening. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) accident report, one sedan struck the center divider and was blocking one of the lanes. 

Driver Sought in Three-Vehicle Crash

An off-duty fire department employee reported that a newer white Honda Civic fled at a high rate of speed following the three-vehicle crash. The CHP is charged with investigating the accident to determine how it occurred and locating the hit-and-run driver.

Locating a Hit-And-Run Driver

Accidents that involve a fleeing driver are far too common in the Sacramento area. My office has a good record of working with police and using our resources to locate a driver who has fled the scene. That doesn’t make it impossible to collect compensation to pay for your pain and suffering, lost wages and medical costs. 

Many clients worry that a hit-and-run driver will not be caught. In the event the driver cannot be located, despite our best efforts, there is another option to collect damages. 

Insurance for Uninsured/Underinsured Drivers

This type of insurance is an option offered to all drivers in California. Uninsured/underinsured insurance is a good idea, especially since many people are without coverage. It protects you and your loved ones when needed whether you are walking, riding or pedaling a bicycle. If the injured person does not carry this type of policy themselves and another household member does, that policy can be used without affecting the rates.

Investigating a Crash That Involves Multiple Vehicles

Investigating a hit-and-run accident requires an investigative team that is experienced and willing to work their way through evidence until the at-fault party is found. Our investigators take the following steps:

  • Speaking to witnesses who saw the accident is an excellent way to obtain factual information about the three-vehicle crash. Some witnesses are outraged by a driver leaving the scene of the accident and may record it using their cell phone. This is the best-case scenario. Other witnesses may have noticed the make and model of the vehicle as well as its color. All these clues make a big difference in finding the hit-and-run driver.
  • Our investigators question business owners in the area to see if they have video surveillance cameras that may have caught the accident on tape. However, it is essential to do this as soon as possible after the crash since many businesses reuse the tapes and digitally overwrite them.
  • License plate numbers are a surefire way to find the fleeing driver. Sometimes witnesses write them down. Even if a witness only catches a portion of the plate number, the DMV will be able to match it. 
  • Often, the hit-and-run driver will live in the area, sometimes within a few blocks of the accident scene. That is why our legal investigators canvass the area speaking to homeowners and businesses. 
  • We also obtain footage from traffic surveillance cameras that provide pictures of the accident as it happened.
  • Our investigators will also review police reports to unearth any mistakes or other inaccuracies. 

Once all the data is procured, we turn it over to our legal team, who use it to build a robust case for our clients.

Car Accident Lawyer in Sacramento

I am Ed Smith, a car accident lawyer in Sacramento. Phone me at (916) 921-6400 or from long-distance at (800) 404-5400 for my free and friendly advice. If you don’t want to call, an online form is available to get in touch with me.

I’m honored to have helped many people in the Sacramento area get the compensation they deserve after being injured by a negligent driver. In addition to any type of traffic crash, I also handle wrongful deaths and other claims.

Being a member of the Top 1 Percent and Million Dollar Advocates are special honors for me that demonstrate how hard I work to represent my clients.

Reviews by former clients and cases can be found below:

Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/car-accident-broken-glass-splatter-337764/

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