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Fatal hit-and-run crash: Versace model Eric Zentner was killed Saturday on Highway 101 near Santa Barbara.

A 30-year-old model was killed in a hit-and-run crash Saturday when he got out of his car after running out of gas and was walking along Highway 101 in Buellton,  about 35 miles northwest of Santa Barbara.

•   Vogue model Eric Zentner was headed up to the Sacramento area to visit his mother when he ran out of gas on Highway 101 north of Santa Barbara in the dark early-morning hours.

•   Zentner got out of his car and walked along the highway, hoping to find assistance. He was hit by a car and killed.

•   The driver who hit him fled the scene.

The pedestrian accident occurred at 3:45 a.m., according to a Fox 40 News report.

Versace model Eric Zentner, who was often featured in Vogue and appeared in pop star Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold”video, was driving north on Highway 101 to see his mother in Gold River, California (east of Sacramento), when he ran out of gas.

“He exited the vehicle and began walking,” California Highway Patrol officer Cliff Powers told Fox News. “We believe at some point he crossed the road east.” Police did not say why he didn’t use a cellphone to call for help.

A light blue mid-1990s Dodge Caravan hit Zentner as he was walking in the dark to a farmhouse to seek help. Zentner died at the scene.  The driver fled the scene. CHP investigators collected evidence at the scene that included headlight lenses with part numbers, light blue paint and a windshield wiper, according to an E! News report. The CHP is continuing to look for any tips that might lead to the  hit-and-run driver.

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” Powers said. “We don’t know what happened. So far, no one has come forward.”

The model’s cousin, Zach Zentner, said he has thought a lot about that.

“I just wonder what [the hit-and-run driver's] situation is,” he said. “I hope they can bring it to themselves to come forward and admit to themselves that they need to do something about this, and say, ‘This is what happened.’ ”

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP. The toll-free statewide number is 1-800-835-5247. The Buellton office number is 805-688-5551.

Far too many people — including police officers — are killed when they get out of their vehicles on highways or interstate freeways following a breakdown or accident. Following are some tips from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to keep you safe when your car is disabled.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR VEHICLE IS DISABLED ON A HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY

1. Pull to the right shoulder and stop. Get as far away from traffic as possible.

2.  Put your hood up and turn on your emergency flashers. When it is safe to briefly exit your car, get out on the RIGHT side (away from traffic) and put the hood up to indicate you are having trouble. Then get back in the car, from the RIGHT side, again.

3.  Call for help. Call AAA or another emergency road service immediately if you are a member. If  you’re not a member, call the California Highway Patrol’s Freeway Service Patrol at  1-800-TELLCHP (835-5247). They offer free assistance within the following areas: Sacramento, Tracy, San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and Orange County.

4.  Stay in the car with your seat belt fastened. Even if you don’t have a phone with you, someone who is passing by will see your blinkers on and your hood up and will call the CHP.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing hit-and-run accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Plane explodes on aircraft carrier: A Marine F/A-18C Hornet attack jet exploded aboard the USS John C. Stennis off the coast of San Diego.

Four sailors were airlifted to a San Diego hospital with serious injuries Wednesday afternoon after a fighter jet exploded on the deck of the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier. Seven others sustained lesser injuries and were treated by medical personnel aboard the ship.

•  A one-seat Marine F/A-18C Hornet attack jet was lined up and ready to take off from an aircraft carrier as part of a routine training exercise about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego.

•  The engine malfunctioned and exploded. The plane burst into flames.

•  Eight sailors, one Marine and two civilians were injured. Four of the sailors were airlifted to a Navy hospital in San Diego.

The aviation accident occurred at about 2:50 p.m., according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The U.S. Navy initially said that 10 sailors were injured but later upated its report to clarify that 11 people were hurt — eight sailors, one Marine and two civilians working with the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 from Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego.

The aircraft carrier was conducting a routine training mission about 100 miles offshore from San Diego when a Marine F/A-18C Hornet that was lined up and ready for takeoff experienced an engine malfunction and burst into flames. The ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Ronald Reis, said he was “extremely proud” of the way his crew handled the emergency.

“They responded quickly, professionally and with purpose, extinguishing the aircraft engine fire,” Reis said. The jet’s pilot was not injured, but there was about $1 million of fire damage to the ship.

The four sailors who suffered the worst injuries were flown to Naval Medical Center San Diego. One of them was treated and released, but the other three remained in the hospital. Naval Air Forces Lt. Aaron V. Kakiel said the injured sailors are in stable condition and are expected to be released by the end of the week.  Kakiel did not specify the exact nature of the injuries, but he said they weren’t life-threatening.

“We’re concerned for all the sailors that were injured and we’re trying to figure out what happened to avoid such incidents in the future,” Kakiel told the San Diego Union-Tribune. The others who were injured were treated aboard the aircraft carrier.

“We have a pretty robust medical capacity on the ship,” Kakiel said.

The Navy did not know what caused the engine of the single-seat jet, operated by the Marine training squadron at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, to fail and burst into flames. The accident is under investigation.

“[The flight deck of an aircraft carrier] is an inherently dangerous place,” Ries said.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing aviation accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Two drowned bodies lie covered on a pier after a tour boat carrying 10 people capsized Sunday in San Diego. ( AP Photo)

Capsized tour boat: A father and son drowned Sunday after a tour boat with nine people aboard capsized near Harbor Island in San Diego.

•   A 26-foot charity tour boat carrying 10 people capsized in San Diego.

•   Two people were killed and eight were injured. One survivor was in critical condition.

•   The tour organizer said a gust of wind caused the accident, but the boat’s manufacturer said it was dangerously overloaded. Authorities also are looking at the boat’s retractable keel design as a possible factor.

The boat accident occurred at shortly after 5 p.m., according to an NBC News report.

Harbor police said two children aged 9 and 11 and two young adults with special needs were among the 10 passengers aboard “Nessie,” a 26-foot hybrid sailboat/power boat, when it overturned in the San Diego Bay. Some of the passengers were not wearing life jackets.

Investigators do not yet know what caused the boat to flip over, tossing 10 people into the frigid water, San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque told the Los Angeles Times. Nearby boats quickly pulled out many of the survivors from the submerged boat, but two people drowned. Luque said 73-year-old Chao Chen and his 48-year-old son, Jun Chen, both of San Diego, were pronounced dead at the scene by San Diego Harbor Police.

Eight people survived. All of them were taken to U.C. San Diego Medical Center and Scripps Mercy Hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia and related injuries. One woman sustained major injuries and was in critical condition, Luque said.

Weather and sea conditions did not appear to be factors in the accident, authorities said. There was a light breeze and the waters were calm, Luque said. The group that organized the charity outing – Heart of Sailing, a non-profit Indiana-based charity group that provides sailing trips for people with developmental disabilities — said a gust of wind caused the accident, according to an ABC News report. The wind hit moments before the sailboat capsized, despite efforts to release the sail to reduce wind pressure, said Heart of Sailing board president John Shean.

“This is a tragic accident,” Shean said.

The boat’s manufacturer, Roger MacGregor of Costa Mesa, said the boat was “grossly overloaded.” McGregor told KFMB News there are no weight restrictions on the boat, but 10 people would make the craft dangerously unstable. Also, weight distribution is critical on a sailboat. Witnesses said there were a lot of people on the bow of the boat before it capsized.

“If the weight is on the bow, then as the boat moves through the water and the nose goes down as the wind pushes against the sail, it would accentuate the ability to capsize,” said Mission Bay Aquatic Center director Glen Brandenburg said.

The design of the boat also could have played a part in the accident. San Diego Harbor Police Chief John Bolduc explained that every sailboat uses a keel underneath it to act as a force against the water to keep the sailboat from tipping over.

“[The MacGregor boat that capsized] has a retractable centerboard, or keel, and that’s something we’re looking into to see if it had a role in this incident,” Bolduc said. Andy Kurtz of Seaforth Boat Rentals in Mission Bay said the keel could be a key factor in the accident.

“If the sail was up and the centerboard was up, then it’s no surprise the boat capsized,” Kurtz said.

Authorities are still investigating the accident.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented boating accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Brain Injury: Poison front man Bret Michaels is suing CBS and the Tony Awards for an onstage head injury. (AP Photos)

Rocker Bret Michaels is suing CBS and the Tony Awards over a 2009 stage accident head injury that  may have resulted in a 2010 brain hemorrhage that almost killed him. Michaels filed the papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday.

•  Rock star Bret Michaels was hit in the head and knocked to the floor by an enormous piece of descending scenery on the Tony Awards show stage in 2009.

•  Michaels’ was hospitalized at the time. He later suffered a type of life-threatening brain hemorrhage that is usually caused by head injuries. He almost died.

•  He is suing CBS and the award show because producers did not warn him about the scenery or tell him how to exit the stage safely.

The Poison front man was hit in the head by a huge piece of descending scenery and was knocked to the ground right after he finished his performance, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. (See video.) Michaels later suffered a life-threatening subarachnoid hemorrhage, a form of stroke that can lead to disability and death. He believes the traumatic brain injury he suffered on the Tony Awards stage led to that hemorrhage.

“One of the most common causes of this type of hemorrhage is head trauma — exactly like the one Michaels suffered at the hands of the Tony Awards,” the lawsuit states.

The suit claims the awards show’s producers are to blame for the accident because they neglected to explain to  Michaels the potential hazards of the scenery and failed to tell him how to exit the set safely.

“Michaels was never told that the scenery piece would be descending or given any warning of the existence of the dangers it presented,” the lawsuit alleges. “Quite the opposite, Michaels specifically asked for instructions regarding how to exit after his performance and was just told to walk off the rear of the stage – in what was ultimately the danger zone.”

Michaels said he had to file the suit because the network and the show’s producers have been unwilling to settle with him out of court. He said they blamed him for the accident, making jokes about it and telling the media he “missed his mark.”

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing traumatic brain injury victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Nudist rescue: Emergency crews rescued a naked woman after she slipped and froze on a beach cliff in Torrey Pines State Park. (Photos: Fox News)

Some slip-and-fall accidents get more attention than others. This one made the 6 o’clock news from London to Australia. A 27-year-old naked woman was saved in a dramatic helicopter rescue after she froze on a steep cliff above Black’s Beach near the glider port at Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego.

• A would-be nude sunbather tossed her clothes down a steep cliff to a secluded beach and then attempted to climb down the cliff, naked.

• The woman reached an area where she couldn’t move up or down, and froze in panic. Someone, perhaps a hang glider, saw the woman and alerted rescue workers.

• A female lifeguard rappelled down the 500-foot cliff, strapped the naked woman into a harness, and lowered herself and the woman down to the beach.

The accident was reported to lifeguards at about 2:15 p.m., according to a report in the North County Times.

Fire officials said the woman had taken off her clothes and thrown them down to a section of beach where laws against public nudity are not enforced. Then she attempted to climb down a steep cliff to the beach. She was stark naked. She reached a spot where she could not climb up or down, and froze in panic.

Dozens of lifeguards and Fire Engine Company 9 were responded to the emergency, according to a Fox 5 News report. It took lifeguards about 30 minutes to rig a series of rescue ropes. Then a female lifeguard rappelled a third of the way down the 500-foot cliff to reach the stranded woman. The lifeguard strapped the naked woman into a harness, and then lowered herself and the woman to the beach area below. When she got there, her clothing was waiting for her.

After park rangers cited her for disregarding signs and entering a restricted area of Torrey Pines State Park, the would-be nude sunbather walked up a hiking trail from the beach to her car.

San Diego Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said, “She just became stuck. This happens all the time.” The woman wasn’t hurt, but she could have suffered serious injuries if she had slipped down the cliff.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing slip and fall accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Cathedral City police officer Jermaine Gibson (inset) was killed when his patrol car crashed and burned during a high-speed chase.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a Cathedral City police officer to lose control of his car and crash into a tree during a high-speed chase last Friday night. The officer, 29-year-old Jermaine Gibson, died at the scene.

• A police officer chased two men in a stolen Mustang from Cathedral City to Palm Springs.

• The officer lost control of his vehicle and it crashed into a palm tree. The car caught fire and the officer died.

• The suspects kept driving, but then crashed the Mustang into a tree and it caught fire as well. They are hospitalized in critical condition.

Authorities say they intend to press first-degree murder charges against two men who stole a Ford Mustang and then led Gibson on a high-speed chase that cost the officer his life. According to an article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, 46-year-old Cathedral City resident Dexter Coleman and 34-year-old Coachella Valley resident Durjan Germaine Gray face murder charges because the fatal car accident was caused during the commission of a felony.

Investigators are trying to piece together what happened that night. It is known that Gibson tried to stop the stolen Mustang north of Interstate 10 in Cathedral City. But the driver sped away, so a chase ensued. Gibson and two other patrol cars chased the Mustang for nine miles to Palm Springs.

Gibson lost control of his vehicle at the intersection of East Mesquite Avenue and South Palm Canyon Drive, where the patrol car crashed into a palm tree and caught fire. Gibson died at the scene. He is survived by his wife and a 4-week-old son.

Meanwhile, Coleman and Gray continued for another half-mile before they, too, lost control. The Mustang crashed into a tree and a gas station sign, and then burst into flames. They had to be pulled from the car. Both sustained major injuries, according to a KPSP News report.

Palm Springs police said Coleman was in critical condition at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. Gray suffered broken legs and a broken jaw, police said. He was arrested on an outstanding parole warrant and was hospitalized at Riverside County General Medical Center in Moreno Valley.

Anyone who has any information about these accidents is urged to contact the Palm Springs Police Department at 760-323-8115 or the California Highway Patrol Indio station at 760-772-8900.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented families of wrongful death victims for 35 years.  The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Paramedics treat victims after a Merced SUV rollover crash. (Photo: Merced Sun-Star)

Three people were seriously injured Wednesday in an SUV rollover crash on Highway 99 in Merced.

•   An SUV was driving about 70 mph in the fast lane of Highway 99 when another vehicle shot over from the slow lane and drove into the fast lane on the SUV’s right side, crowding it out of the lane.

•   The SUV had to swerve to the left to avoid being hit by the second vehicle. The driver lost control of the SUV and it crashed into the center divider, then rolled over.

•   The SUV driver sustained major injuries and was airlifted to a hospital. Both of his passengers also were injured and hospitalized.

•   The second vehicle drove away without stopping.

The highway crash occurred at about 2:50 p.m., according to a report in the Merced Sun-Star.

California Highway Patrol officer John Patterson said 34-year-old Ricardo Martinez of Merced was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer at about 70 mph in the northbound fast lane of Highway 99. As he approached Yosemite Parkway, another vehicle moved over from the slow lane and drove into the fast lane at the right side of Martinez’s vehicle, crowding him out.

Martinez had to swerve to the left to avoid being hit by the second vehicle. He lost control of the vehicle, which hit the center median and fishtailed before it overturned. It spun around and finally came to a stop facing south in the northbound fast lane. The second vehicle drove away without stopping, Patterson said.

Martinez sustained major injuries and was airlifted to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto to be treated. The exact nature and extent of his injuries was not listed.

There were two passengers in the SUV. Both of them were hospitalized with injuries. Paramedics transported 44-year-old Lucina Jimenez of Merced to Memorial Medical Center with moderate injuries;  45-year-old Juan Jose Ezequiel, also of Merced, was taken to Mercy Medical Center with minor injuries.

All three of the occupants of the SUV were wearing seat belts.

Anyone with information about the second vehicle is urged to call the CHP at 209-356-2956.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing SUV rollover accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Fatal motorcycle crash: A speeding Lexus SUV hit a big-rig and then crashed into a motorcycle, killing the rider. (Photo: KGTV News)

A 60-year-old motorcyclist was killed Monday when a Lexus SUV traveling 80 mph in a rainstorm lost control and crashed into both a big-rig and a motorcycle on Interstate 805 in San Diego.

•   An SUV driver was speeding at 80 mph on a rain-soaked freeway. When the SUV approached slower traffic, the driver apparently braked too hard and lost control.

•   The SUV slid over to the right and hit a semi truck, then skidded back over to the left in front of a motorcycle. The SUV and motorcycle crashed.

•   The motorcycle rider was ejected from the bike and flew 75 feet in the air before landing on the pavement. He died at the scene.

The fatal motorcycle crash occurred just before 6 a.m., according to Channel 6 News.

A Lexus SUV in the far left southbound lane on I-805 was traveling at 80 mph — over the speed limit and too fast for the heavy rain conditions, California Highway Patrol officer Allen Reyes said. When the Lexus came up on slower moving vehicles near Balboa Avenue, the driver apparently hit the brakes to try to slow down and instead lost control of the SUV.

The Lexus slid over to the right, where it hit a big-rig. The impact forced the Lexus to skid back over to the left, directly in front of a BMW motorcycle, ridden by Paul Palika of Oceanside.  The motorcycle could not avoid a collision with the SUV. The force of the crash threw Palika off the bike. He flew nearly 75 feet before landing on the pavement.

Palika died at the scene. The Lexus driver was uninjured. It was not yet known if the Lexus driver would face criminal charges, Reyes said.

Palika was a retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant. He was an accomplished motorcycle rider and a motorcycle safety instructor who taught novice and experienced riders at the Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops. The accident that killed him was one of 116 collisions on San Diego’s rain-slicked freeways Monday.

Rain Safety Tips for Drivers

• Slow down. You may have to stop at any time to avoid debris in the road.
• Maintain extra distance behind other drivers. You need two to three times more stopping distance on wet pavement than on dry.
• Drive in center lanes. Water may build up in outer lanes.
• Stay aware of weather conditions. Changes in storm conditions may affect the road ahead.
• Avoid distractions while driving.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented motorcycle accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

FAA and NTSB investigators examine the wreckage of a fatal plane crash near Barstow.

A woman and three children were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed into the side of a mountain a couple of miles from the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

•   A small, single-engine plane that took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County crashed into the side of a mountain about 100 miles away, near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

•   The female pilot, her 6-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter were killed in the fiery crash.

•   The cause of the accident remains unknown.

The 1978 single-engine Cessna 210 crashed at about 12:40 p.m., according to a report in the Orange County Register.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane had departed from John Wayne Airport in Tustin and was headed to Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas when it slammed into a mountainside about 2.5 miles southeast of the Barstow-Dagget Airport.

The crash site was about two miles south of Interstate 40 in rough terrain. Witnesses who saw the crash said the plane appeared to suddenly spiral out of the sky and go straight into the side of the hill, airport employee Alan Hamm told the Associated Press.  The plane then burst into flames.

San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire initially said the coroner’s office had to “conduct extensive scientific means to identify the bodies,” but the pilot’s husband, Jim Morrison of Truckee, confirmed to KXTL News that his wife, Katie Morrison, 6-year-old son Wyatt and 5-year-old daughter Hannah were killed in the crash. The airplane was registered to Morrison’s construction company.

The cause of the crash is still not known. Wind advisories were in effect for the Mojave Desert Sunday, but it is not known if that was a factor. Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The final determination could take months, said NTSB investigator Mike Huhn.

Huhn said the NTSB will look more closely at the pilot’s experience, training and health as well as the plane and environmental factors.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing aviation accident victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Police say the drivers of both vehicles could face criminal charges in an SUV rollover accident that resulted in the death of a 5-year-old girl near Riverside on Tuesday.

•   An 18-year-old driver ran through a stop sign and crashed into an SUV driven by a 20-year-old. The SUV rolled over and crashed into a cinder block wall.

•   All three children in the back seat of the SUV — none of whom wore seatbelts — were thrown from the SUV. A 5-year-old was killed. The other two, ages 7 and 9, were hospitalized.

•   The CHP said both drivers could face criminal charges. The one who ran the stoplight could be charged with manslaughter, while the one who drove the SUV could be face child endangerment charges.

The little girl, Janet Gomez of Perris, died about 45 minutes after the 2:25 p.m. collision at Haines and Kinney streets in Mead Valley, according to a report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Five others were injured in the accident.

A California Highway Patrol report said 19-year-old Megan Galvan of Perris was driving eastbound on Kinney Street at a speed of 35 to 40 mph. She ran the stop sign at the intersection of Kinney and Haines streets, and slammed into the side of a 1995 Jeep Wrangler driven north by 20-year-old Ivan Gomez of Perris.

The impact caused Gomez to lose control of the Jeep, which crashed into a cinder block wall and overturned. Three children who were riding in the back seat without seat belts were ejected from the car. The 5-year-old was killed. A 9-year-old girl sustained major injuries and a 7-year-old girl suffered injuries that the CHP classified as minor. Both of the girls were transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, where they were expected to survive.

The Jeep driver and his 9-year-old son were riding in the front seat with seat belts fastened. Neither of them was hurt. Glavan sustained minor injuries and also was taken to Loma Linda to be treated.

The CHP said Galvan could be charged with misdemeanor manslaughter because she didn’t stop at the stop sign, while Gomez could face child-endangerment charges because the three children in the back seat were not in child safety seats or wearing seat belts.

Following the accident, more than 100 Mead Valley residents marched in protest, carrying signs demanding that traffic lights be installed at dangerous intersections. They said lights on Haines Street would help slow traffic and prevent future crashes.

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident injury victims for 35 years.  The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.