Oakland Man Seriously Injured in Ukiah Collision
On Monday, December 18, 2017, a man from Oakland was involved in a single-vehicle auto accident in Ukiah that threw him from his vehicle and left him with major traumatic injuries.
Crash Details
Authorities of California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a public report that the accident occurred at about 3:10 p.m. when 44-year-old Oakland resident Donald A. Cornell had been driving east in his 1989 Mazda sports car along State Route 253. CHP indicated that Cornell had been driving at high speeds when he entered a curve in the road. Cornell reportedly failed to correctly navigate the curve, which caused his vehicle to veer off of the roadway.
After exiting the road, Cornell’s vehicle reportedly traveled down a steep roadside embankment before striking a wire fence. The collision with the fence caused the vehicle to overturn and roll several times before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a large redwood tree.
It was reported that at some point during the accident, Cornell was ejected from the Mazda and was found about 100 feet away from where the vehicle struck the tree.
Response and Injury
CHP reported that personnel from Verhi-Health, Cal Trans, Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, and Cal Star all worked together in order to respond to the critical accident.
Officers stated that Cornell was treated at the scene of the auto accident by firefighting crews and paramedics who determined that he had suffered traumatic injuries. Cornell was subsequently put onto a Cal Star helicopter ambulance and transported to the nearby Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
Investigation
Investigating authorities are currently working to understand the factors that caused this crash to occur. Although speeding has been reported as a factor, other possibilities may have also contributed. Things that may have affected this accident include the conditions of the road, whether or not the driver was distracted, fatigued, or possibly inebriated, inadequate road signage, vehicle defects, and more.
Rollover Collisions
When vehicles overturn, the risk of serious injury is increased. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that rollover collisions are more likely to cause fatal injuries than other types of auto accidents and that rollovers account for around one-fifth of all fatal auto accidents in the nation.
Additionally, data shows that almost 75 percent of people who receive fatal injuries in rollover crashes are found to have not been properly wearing safety restraints when the collision occurred. Slightly less than 66 percent of these individuals were totally ejected from the vehicle they were a passenger of.
More From Ukiah Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith
Ukiah Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Ukiah car accident lawyer. If a vehicle accident has left you or somebody you know with serious or fatal injuries, call (707) 564-1900 for friendly legal advice. Other ways to get in touch are through AutoAccident.com and by calling (800) 404-5400.
I’ve practiced wrongful death and personal injury law in Ukiah and Northern California since 1982 and have helped many people recover the money they are legally owed.
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image: “helicopter ambulance Umass Medical Center” by Perez Partensky through CCA-SA2.0G
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