Traffic Fatality Caused by Wrong-Way Driver
A traffic fatality was reported in an incident involving a wrong-way driver in Sacramento on September 15. The accident was reported around 2:37 in the morning on South State Route 99 at the Stockton Boulevard on-ramp. Elk Grove police reported that an alleged stolen car was seen going onto southbound 99 in the northbound lanes by accessing the Stockton Boulevard on-ramp in the wrong direction.
Area Closed Down While Investigation Is Undertaken
The car, which may have been a Honda, crashed into at least one other vehicle shortly after entering the on-ramp. Officers with the Elk Grove Police Department assisted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in shutting down the Stockton on-ramp, placing out flares to warn other motorists, and helping with the recovery of the vehicles. One traffic fatality was reported in the incident as well as a major injury. The vehicles involved in the traffic fatality accident were removed as evidence.
Accidents Involving a Wrong-Way Driver
Most wrong-way driver accidents are caused by motorist error. One thing they have in common is that the driver often causes a head-on collision, one of the most dangerous types of accidents. Injuries from a head-on collision are often significant such as broken bones, spinal cord, and brain trauma. This is because the speeds of both vehicles combine during the impact. At highway speeds, that can be disastrous and result in life-long disability or death.
Reasons Accidents Happen Involving a Wrong-Way Driver
Drivers entering an exit ramp going in the wrong direction are the major cause of a driver going the wrong way. In other cases, the driver may enter a one-way street going in the wrong direction or get confused in a construction zone. Some of the reasons drivers erroneously enter an exit ramp can include:
- Drunk or drugged driving or a motorist who is on certain medications is the prime cause of a head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver.
- Unfamiliarity with the road can cause a driver to enter an exit ramp.
- Distracted driving is a prime cause of all types of collisions. Because the driver’s attention is elsewhere, they can end up entering a ramp going the wrong way.
- Drowsy driving has been compared to being inebriated in its effect on the motorist. The consequences can be the same, and the motorist can become a wrong-way driver.
- Poor visibility due to bad lighting in the area can cause a wrong-way driver if they miss seeing the roadway signs.
- Poor markings in ramp areas or signs placed in bad locations can result in a wrong-way driver. In cases where government negligence was the cause of an accident injury or fatality, that agency can be held responsible.
Proving Liability in an Accident
For an injured person to place a claim for compensation from an at-fault driver or entity, it has to be proved that another party was negligent. Our investigators go to the scene of the accident to gather the evidence necessary to support that claim. They check over the police report for mistakes and talk to the witnesses. Accident reconstruction is performed, and surveillance cameras in the area are examined to see if they caught the wrong-way driver on video. Once all the evidence has been gathered, our injury attorneys use it to construct a strong case in support of our client’s compensation claim.
Auto Accident Injury Lawyers in Sacramento
I am Ed Smith, an auto accident lawyer in Sacramento. When an at-fault driver causes your injuries, you can find out about filing a compensation claim by calling us at (916) 921-6400 for our free and friendly advice. You can also reach us at (800) 404-5400 or by contacting us online.
We have helped many Sacramentans since 1982 in obtaining fair compensation for all kinds of traffic crashes and other personal injury claims as well as wrongful deaths.
We’re proud members of:
The following links help illustrate how my legal team and I have helped others obtain compensation following an accident injury or wrongful death in the family:
Photo attribution: Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay
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