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Police impounded a Santa Cruz party bus after a fatal accident Friday night on HIighway 17. (Photo: KTVU News)

Fatal accident: Police seized a party bus that ran over and killed a 25-year-old passenger Friday night after she was thrown out of the door on Highway 17 near Los Gatos.

•    About a dozen people — a number of whom were underage — were traveling home from a country music concert in a party bus. All of them were highly intoxicated.

•    Two of the female passengers got into a fight near an emergency door. The door came open and both of the women fell from the bus onto the highway.

•    The bus ran over and killed one of the women. The other was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

•    Authorities impounded the bus and are trying to determine how the door came open.

The deadly passenger van accident occurred shortly before midnight, according to an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The California Highway Patrol reported that Party Bus of Santa Cruz was transporting around a dozen passengers home from a Brad Paisley concert at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.

CHP Officer DJ Sarabia said all of the passengers on the bus were highly intoxicated, but the driver was sober.

The bus was traveling southbound on Highway 17, between Lark Avenue and Highway 9 in Los Gatos, when 25-year-old Natasha Noland reportedly got into an argument with a 20-year-old woman from Felton. Somehow the emergency door opened and both women fell out onto the highway.

The bus, which was traveling 45 to 55 mph, ran over and killed Noland. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Sarabia said.

The other woman suffered moderate injuries and was taken via ground ambulance to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose to be treated, according to a KTVU News report. The exact nature of her injuries was not known, but Sarabia said she “had road rash all over her body.”

Investigators are trying to determine how the emergency door opened.

“There are two mechanisms for the door to open, either manually with the bus driver pulling the lever or the emergency lever that’s near the door,” Sabarian said. The bus has been impounded and will be thoroughly inspected for any possible mechanical failures.

None of the passengers on the bus cooperated with police, Sarabia said. Two of them were arrested.

“Absolutely everyone was highly intoxicated,” Sarabia said. ”We’re hoping once they sober up they’ll cooperate a bit more,” Sarabia said.

A number of the passengers were underage. Some fled the scene.  The driver was not suspected of any wrongdoing and was not arrested. The accident remains under investigation.

Santa Cruz Accident Lawyers

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

A clash between drivers on the freeway ended up in a rollover crash that landed two people in the hospital. (Photo: Marin Independent-Journal)

Freeway crash: Two people were hospitalized Wednesday after a road rage incident led to a rollover crash that blocked an onramp onto the 101 freeway in Novato.

•   A BMW rear-ended a Toyota that slowed at a construction zone.

•   Both cars pulled over at first, but the BMW drove away. When the Toyota caught up with the BMW, the driver slammed on her brakes, causing the Toyota to swerve across the freeway and roll over.

•   The driver and passenger in the Toyota were hospitalized with possible back and neck injuries.

The car accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on northbound Highway 101, according to a report in the Marin Independent-Journal.

The scuffle started in the Number 1 lane, where a 1998 BMW 740iL, driven by 25-year-old Melanie Strong of Santa Rosa, was traveling behind a  2007 Toyota Camry, driven by31-year-old Kaleybra Block.

California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Hohmeister said Block thought Strong was tailgating her, so she sped up to about 70 mph to put some room behind her. Shortly thereafter, she had to slow down to 55 mph for a construction zone north of Ignacio Boulevard. Strong did not slow down, Hohmeister said. Her BMW slammed into the Toyota from behind.

After that accident, both cars pulled over and stopped in the center divider  near the Highway 37 overcrossing. A passenger in the Toyota,  26-year-old Michael Walker of Santa Rosa, got out to talk to Strong, but she drove back onto the freeway, hitting the Toyota again on her way.

Block then drove after the BMW, but when she got close, Strong slammed on her brakes. Block swerved to try to avoid a third collision, but she lost control of the Toyota. It veered across the freeway and completely rolled over, landing upright on its wheels. When the vehicle came to rest, it was blocking the onramp from Highway 37 to northbound Highway 101.

Block and Walker both suffered possible back and neck injuries and were transported to Marin General Hospital to be treated.

Strong was not injured. Her two passengers — one adult and a 7-year-old boy — also escaped injury.

Hohmesiter said the CHP is considering the accident a potential hit-and-run case. Witnesses are urged to call the CHP Marin office at 415-924-1100.

Novato Freeway Accident Lawyers

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

A bi-rig burst into flames after hitting an SUV on I-580; three people were hospitalized. (Photo: Contra Costa Times)

Truck accident: Three people were hospitalized Tuesday after a big-rig sideswiped an SUV and then burst into flames on Interstate 580 in Pleasanton.

•   A big-rig sideswiped an SUV on the freeway, spilled diesel fuel and hydraulic fluid on the road, and then burst into flames.

•   The truck driver and his son escaped before the big-rig burst into flames. Both of them were injured and hospitalized.

•   The SUV driver suffered unspecified injuries and also was hospitalized.

The fiery freeway crash occurred at 1:20 p.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway, according to a report in the Contra Costa Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Pete Van Eckhardt told the Times that a Toyota 4Runner was stopped alongside the freeway when an eastbound big-rig carrying a construction crane sideswiped it.

The impact sent the semi truck into a slide along the side of the concrete barrier wall. The damaged big-rig spilled diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, and other debris on the freeway, Van Eckhardt said. Then it burst into flames.

The truck driver and his 7-year-old son managed to escape from the truck before it caught fire, but both of them were injured. According to the Times report, the driver sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley to be treated. The 7-year-old boy was taken to Childrens Hospital in Oakland to be treated for cuts and other minor injuries.

The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries, according to Van Eckhardt. He also was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

It took a hazardous materials team more than five hours to clean up the spill and the burnt remains of the big-rig from the crash scene, according to the Times report.

What is a minor injury?

Police and firefighter classifications of “minor injuries” can be misleading. Even a so-called “minor” injury may be far more serious than it initially appears and can have a major impact on the victim’s life. Some injuries aren’t even evident until days or weeks after an accident.

Injuries that are designated as “minor” may include whiplash, strains, sprains, lacerations, and bone fractures. All of these types of injuries may vary in severity.

* Whiplash, for example, is neck injury caused by sudden jerking or “whipping” of the head, as often occurs in car accidents, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It may not be noticed for several days, yet it can cause stiffness and numbness in the head, neck, back, shoulders, and arms. The initial symptoms may appear to go away and then return for months or even years, according to the NIH report.

* Strains and sprains are soft tissue injuries. Strains can cause pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle, according to the NIH. Sprains involve pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move the joint. Initial treatment often requires taking time off work to rest the injury, sometimes followed by longer-term physical therapy.

* Lacerations include cuts, tears, and puncture wounds. A variety of factors determine how quickly a laceration may heal. Infection is always a risk with a laceration, and this risk can be particularly dangerous for diabetics. Even minor lacerations may cause permanent scars.

* Bone fractures are very common in car accidents. They can be extremely painful, and may involve swelling, bruising, or bleeding as well as numbness, tingling, and the inability to move a limb. Some fractures require surgery to implant plates, pins, or screws to keep the bone in place. The impact of a fracture on daily activities is immediate and often disabling. Follow-up surgery and physical therapy may stretch the recovery period to months.

Pleasanton Truck Accident Lawyers

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

One person was killed and two others injured when a minivan hit a Caltrans truck on I-10 in El Monte. (Photo: San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Freeway accident: A minivan driver and his dog died Tuesday when the vehicle slammed into a Caltrans truck in a construction zone on Interstate 10 in El Monte. Two Caltrans workers were injured in the crash.

•   A minivan driver was traveling 65 mph in a lane that was closed for construction on the freeway.

•   The van slammed into the rear of a Caltrans truck that was backing up in the same lane.

•   The minivan driver and his dog died at the scene. Two Caltrans workers were hospitalized with minor injuries.

The fatal accident occurred shortly after 4 a.m. near Peck Road, according to a report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

CHP Officer Doris Peniche told the Tribune that 32-year-old David Sanders of San Bernardino a 2002 Ford Windstar minivan westbound on Interstate 10, in a lane that was closed for road work.

At the same time, a Caltrans truck was backing up in the lane, with two contractors in the back picking up orange construction cones.

The minvan rear-ended the truck at about 65 mph. The minivan driver and his dog, a female pit bull that was riding in the front passenger seat, died at the scene.

The driver of the Caltrans truck and one of the workers who was in the back picking up cones suffered relatively minor injuries and were transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Baldwin Park to be treated. Their names were not released, but they were identified as a 34-year-old man from Beaumont and a 40-year-old man from Moreno Valley.

Two days earlier, two suspected drunk drivers crashed into each other’s vehicles on Interstate 405 in Torrance, and then one of the vehicles slammed into a repaving truck in a construction zone. Two Caltrans workers were killed in that accident.

California law requires motorists to slow down and move over for construction crews.

“Slow down, move over for the cones,” Peniche said. “Just pay attention.”

What happens when the driver who is at fault dies in the accident?

Sometimes in a serious accident the individual who caused the crash suffers fatal injuries. Can the innocent victim still make a claim?

The answer is yes. The case survives even when the wrongdoer doesn’t. The insurance carrier for the car that the wrongdoer was driving remains liable for damages. If that policy does not have enough coverage, additional compensation may be sought via Underinsured Motorist coverage from the insurance carrier for the vehicle in which the innocent victim was a driver or passenger.

If a lawsuit is necessary, it would be filed against the estate of the wrongdoer. If there is no estate, then the injured party can force an estate to be set up to handle the lawsuit.

El Monte Freeway Accident Lawyers

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

A reserve police officer was arrested for a DUI crash that killed another officer in Santa Paula. (Booking photo: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office)

A reserve police officer is facing felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges after an off-duty drunk driving accident killed another police officer Sunday night near Santa Paula.

•    An off-duty police officer lost control of his Jeep on a winding mountain road and the vehicle rolled over, pinning his front-seat passenger underneath.

•    The victim, also an off-duty officer, died at the scene.

•    The driver was arrested on felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges.

The fatal car accident occurred shortly before 9:15 p.m. on Mountain Lookout Road near Coyote Canyon Road, according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

Police said 44-year-old volunteer reserve police officer Christopher Blankenship of Santa Paula was driving a 1984 Jeep Wrangler east on the winding mountain road when he failed to negotiate a right curve and lost control of his vehicle.

Kimberley Hemminger

The Jeep spun out and rolled over, partially ejecting the front-seat passenger, 33-year-old Santa Paula police officer Kimberley Hemminger. Hemminger was pinned under the Jeep and suffered neck injuries that proved to be  fatal, according to a KEYT News report. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other passengers whose names were not released suffered minor injuries.

Blankenship was not injured. He was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. He was booked into the Ventura County Jail and released Monday on $50,000 bail.

It is not known whether the victim also had been drinking, the coroner’s office said. Toxicology results are expected within a few weeks.

“It’s real tragic,” Santa Paula Mayor Robert Gonzales told the Star. “She was a good police officer.”

Santa Paula Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

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

Two Caltrans workers were killed on the job by drunk drivers on I-405 in Torrance. (Photo: KPCC News)

Two Caltrans workers were killed on the job early Sunday morning when two drunk drivers crashed and then plowed into a construction zone on Interstate 405 in Torrance.

•    A drunk driver rear-ended another drunk driver who had slowed down for a Caltrans construction zone on the freeway.

•   One of the cars spun out and hit three Caltrans workers. 

•  Two of the workers died and the third was hospitalized with serious injuries.

•   Both drunk drivers were arrested and could face involuntary manslaughter charges, police said.

The fatal accident occurred on the northbound side of I-405 — the San Diego Freeway — at about 3:35 a.m., according to a report in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

California Highway Patrol Officer Dion Conley said the two vehicles involved were a black Lexus RX-350 SUV driven by 43-year-old Stephen Christopher Caserta of Playa Vista and a blue Ford Explorer driven by 23-year-old Yocio Jonathan Gomez of Norwalk.

There were were the only two lanes open at the time, due to freeway construction. The area was well-lit with several signs and traffic cones marking the Caltrans construction zone, Conley said.

Caserta saw the construction zone and was slowing down, CHP Officer Ed Jacobs told the Press-Telegram.  Gomez failed to slow down and slammed into the Lexus SUV from behind.

The impact forced both vehicles into the construction area. The Lexus spun out control and hit three Caltrans workers. Gomez’s car rolled over and landed upside-down.

Two of the Caltrans workers — 56-year-old Ramon Lopez of Chino Hills and 58-year-old Ricardo Zamora of Winchester — died at the scene. The third worker, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City to be treated for minor to moderate injuries, Conley said.

Both Caserta and Gomez suffered minor lacerations and complained of back and neck pain. They were taken to hospitals and arrested on drunk driving charges. Officials said they could face involuntary manslaughter charges as well.

Torrance Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

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

Two people were injured when an ambulance crashed into a VW Jetta in San Francisco. (Photos: San Francisco Chronicle)

Injury accident: A paramedic intern and a motorist were hospitalized Friday after an ambulance crashed into a Volkswagen Cabriolet and rolled over in a busy intersection in San Francisco.

•   An ambulance was responding to an emergency call when it crashed into a car in an intersection. 

•   At least two people were injured, including the driver of the car.

•   Details of the accident were still under investigation, but police said the car did not run a red light.

The car accident occurred at 12:15 p.m. at the intersection of 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue at 12:15 p.m., according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Police Department Captain Robert Moser said the American Medical Response ambulance was traveling eastbound on 16th Street at the time of the crash. It was responding to an emergency call with flashing lights and sirens.

The white Cabriolet was traveling south on South Van Ness Avenue when it reached the intersection with 16th Street. Moser said the Jetta had a green light.

The ambulance crashed into the Cabriolet, demolishing the front of the small convertible, and then flipped over onto its side.

Witness Jorge Luna, who works at a nearby gas station, told the Mission Local news site that the ambulance rolled over “two or three times.” Luna went over to the ambulance and  helped the two paramedics seated in the front to get out of the vehicle while emergency crew members helped the medic intern who was seated in back.  There were no patients in the ambulance.

The only occupant of the Cabriolet was the driver. He was taken to the hospital with what were later described as minor injuries.

What is a minor injury?

Police and firefighter classifications of “minor injuries” can be misleading. Even a so-called “minor” injury may be far more serious than it initially appears and can have a major impact on the victim’s life. Some injuries aren’t even evident until days or weeks after an accident.

Injuries that are designated as “minor” may include whiplash, strains, sprains, lacerations, and bone fractures. All of these types of injuries may vary in severity.

* Whiplash, for example, is neck injury caused by sudden jerking or “whipping” of the head, as often occurs in car accidents, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It may not be noticed for several days, yet it can cause stiffness and numbness in the head, neck, back, shoulders, and arms. The initial symptoms may appear to go away and then return for months or even years, according to the NIH report.

* Strains and sprains are soft tissue injuries. Strains can cause pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle, according to the NIH. Sprains involve pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move the joint. Initial treatment often requires taking time off work to rest the injury, sometimes followed by longer-term physical therapy.

* Lacerations include cuts, tears, and puncture wounds. A variety of factors determine how quickly a laceration may heal. Infection is always a risk with a laceration, and this risk can be particularly dangerous for diabetics. Even minor lacerations may cause permanent scars.

* Bone fractures are very common in car accidents. They can be extremely painful, and may involve swelling, bruising, or bleeding as well as numbness, tingling, and the inability to move a limb. Some fractures require surgery to implant plates, pins, or screws to keep the bone in place. The impact of a fracture on daily activities is immediate and often disabling. Follow-up surgery and physical therapy may stretch the recovery period to months.

San Francisco Car Accident Lawyers

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

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A drunk driver has been charged with murder in the Hall Road crash in Santa Rosa. Above, firefighters work at the scene of the crash. (Photo: Crista Jeremiason/Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

A 28-year-old nursing student has been charged with murder for a drunk driving accident that killed a 56-year-old man Saturday near Santa Rosa. The suspect allegedly was trying to run down her ex-boyfriend on a motorcycle at the time.

•  A suspected drunk driver fought with her boyfriend and then chased him on his motorcycle with her car. They reached speeds of more than 100 mph, according to witnesses.

•  The motorcycle swerved and the drunk driver hit a small sports car, killing the driver.

•   Prosecutors charged the drunk driver with murder.  She remains in jail without bail.

The fatal car accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. on Hall Road in unincorporated Sonoma County west of Santa Rosa, according to a CBS News report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jon Sloat told CBS that Heather Ann Howell of Santa Rosa appeared to be chasing a man on a motorcycle (not the victim) in her 2001 Acura when the accident occurred.

Investigators said Howell and her boyfriend, a 45-year-old man from Penngrove, had been fighting at Howell’s home before the accident. Witnesses said Howell chasing the motorcyclist trying to hit him with her car, according to a report in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Molinari said investigators were trying to confirm reports that both the Acura and the motorcycle were traveling faster than 100 mph on Fulton Road, just before the crash. The motorcyclist swerved to get out of the way, according to witnesses, and Howell’s Acura clipped a Lexus sedan in front of her. Howell’s car then slammed into a 1969 Triumph TR6 sports car.

The Triumph, driven by 55-year-old Jesse Garcia of Santa Rosa, flipped over and burst into flames. Garcia was trapped inside the burning vehicle, police said. He died at the scene.

Howell was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail, where she was being held without bail. At a hearing on Friday, prosecutor Anne Masterson said Howell admitted she had been drinking before the accident.

Howell initially was charged with manslaughter and reckless driving, but prosecutors decided to charge her with murder because of  her alleged intent to harm the motorcyclist, which led to the death of the uninvolved driver. If she is convicted, she could face 15 years to life in prison.

Santa Rosa Wrongful Death Lawyers

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

A schoolteacher was killed in a head-on collision on Highway 140 in Merced. (Photo: ABC News)

Fatal highway crash: A schoolteacher was killed Monday when her motorhome was slammed head-on by a pickup truck on Highway 140 near Merced.

•   A pickup truck driver lost control on a rural highway and veered into oncoming traffic.

•   The pickup truck crashed head-on into a motorhome with four people inside.

•   The motorhome driver died at the scene. All three of her passengers were hospitalized,

The deadly accident occurred shortly before 1 p.m., according to a report in the Fresno Bee.

Authorities said a black Dodge Dakota pickup truck, driven by 51-year-old Planada resident Ninfa Contreras-Garcia, was traveling westbound on Highway 140 when it drifted onto the right (north) shoulder of the roadway.

Contreras-Garcia tried to get back onto the highway, but overcorrected and drifted into the oncoming traffic lane, where the pickup truck slammed head-on into an eastbound Toyota motorhome driven by 51-year-old  Patricia Garske of Soquel.

Garske died at the scene, according to a report in the Merced Sun-Star.

There were three additional passengers in the motorhome. Two of them — 28-year-old Heather McAllister of Fremont and 16-year-old Xavier Hilton of Santa Cruz — suffered major injuries. McAllister was flown to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Hilton was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. The exact nature of their injuries was not released and their conditions were not known.

The third passenger, 16-year-old April Harlamoff of Soquel, suffered minor injuries. She was flown to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto to be treated. The nature and severity of her injuries was not known.

Contreras-Garcia, the driver of the pickup truck,  suffered minor injuries and was transported via ground ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Merced to be treated.

Why Rural Highways Are Extremely Dangerous

Only 23 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, but 57 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities occur on rural roads, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA’s latest figures show that the fatality rate per vehicle miles traveled was 2.5 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

A large majority of car accident deaths in rural areas — 67 percent — occur on highways, where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher. In urban areas, the opposite is true: 68 percent of all fatal crashes occur on roads where the speed limit is less than 50 mph.

Rural highways often are only two lanes, which presents significant danger to motorists who use the oncoming traffic lane to pass at high speed.

Finally, hospitals are few and far between in rural areas. The risk of dying on the way to the hospital is significantly higher in a rural accident than an urban one.

Merced Car Accident Lawers

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

An unlicensed driver faces felony manslaughter charges after striking and killing a wheelchair-bound pedestrian near Visalia.

The Tulare County coroner’s office announced Thursday that it has identified a pedestrian who was struck and killed Tuesday on Highway 63 near Visalia.

•   A pedestrian in a wheelchair attempted to cross a four-lane street/highway at an intersection.

•   An  unlicensed driver in a Jeep SUV didn’t see the man at first and then panicked, hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake.

•   The Jeep slammed into the wheelchair, knocking the man to the ground. He died from his injuries.

The fatal accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to an article in the Fresno Bee.

The California Highway Patrol said a pedestrian in a wheelchair — later identified as 86-year-old Benjamin Laigo of Orosi — was attempting to cross Highway 63 at the intersection with Miller Road at the time of the accident.

CHP Officer Chris Wright told the Visalia Times-Delta that Laigo was in an unmarked crosswalk when he was struck and killed by a 1991 Jeep Cherokee traveling northbound on Highway 63 at about 35 mph.

“He was right at the intersection,” Wright said.

Wright said the driver of the Jeep, 52-year-old Julio Dominguez of Cutler, told officers he didn’t see Laigo in the street  until his 8-year-old grandson shouted, “Watch out!”

Dominguez then panicked and stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake, Wright said. The Jeep slammed into the wheelchair, throwing Laigo onto the road.

The 86-year-old victim was airlifted to Tulare Regional Medical Center (in the city of Tulare), where he died from the injuries he suffered in the accident.

Dominguez was not arrested at the scene, Wright said, but he was visibly distraught.

“He was pretty shaken up about it,” Wright said. “He made a mistake.”

Wright said the CHP would request that the District Attorney’s Office file charges against Dominguez, including misdemeanor manslaughter, driving without a license, and felony failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Visalia Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

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