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A family of three were hospitalized after a drunk driver slammed into their car in Ramona. (Photos: NBC News)

DUI crash: A father and his 9-year-old daughter were severely injured Thursday night  in a head-on collision with a 21-year-old drunk driver who veered into oncoming traffic in San Diego.

•    A 21-year-old drunk driver in a Ford F-150 pickup truck crossed over a double yellow line and crashed head-on into an oncoming Hyundai SUV.

•    A father and 9-year-old daughter in the Hyundai suffered severe injuries and were airlifted to hospitals.

•    The drunk driver sustained moderate injuries. He was taken to a hospital, arrested on drunk driving charges, and booked into jail.

The horrific car accident occurred at 8:10 p.m. at Ramona Oaks and San Vicente roads, according to a report in the Ramona Sentinel.

California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings said 21-year-old John Mantz was driving a blue Ford F-150 pickup truck westbound on Ramona Oaks Road when he crossed over the yellow line into oncoming traffic and plowed into an eastbound Hyundai SUV.

Both vehicles were severely damaged by the forceful impact. (See photo, above.)

The Hyundai driver — 50-year-old Paul Stevens — and his 9-year-old daughter suffered severe injuries in the crash. Stevens was airlifted to Sharp Memorial Hospital and his daughter was airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital.

At least one news report stated that the girl’s mother also was in the accident and was airlifted with her to Rady Children’s Hospital [KFMB News], but it was not clear whether the mother was injured or if she was in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

No one had life-threatening injuries, CHP Officer Jeffrey Christy told NBC News.

Mantz, the pickup truck driver, sustained moderate injuries in the accident and was transportedvia ground ambulance to Palomar Hospital. He was arrested on drunk driving charges and booked into San Diego Central Jail. He was scheduled to be arraigned in East County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Officer Christy said the accident never should have happened.

“Completely avoidable, completely preventable,” Christy told NBC News. “This didn’t have to happen tonight. It was just a poor decision an individual made that caused this event.”

San Diego Drunk Driving 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.

A school bus driver was arrested on DUI charges after she struck and killed an elderly woman. (Photo: Ventura County Star)

Fatal DUI crash: A school bus driver was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance when she struck and killed an elderly woman trying to cross the street Wednesday in Ventura.

•    A school bus driver who recently underwent back surgery struck and killed an elderly pedestrian in a  crosswalk. 

•    Investigators said the driver failed a field sobriety test and that she was under the influence of a controlled substance. 

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

•    None of the 11 children on the bus was hurt.

The tragic pedestrian accident occurred at 2:55 p.m., according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

The California Highway Patrol said the bus, driven by 54-year-old Ventura resident Joanne Madaule, had 11 disabled children aboard when the accident occurred.

Madaule was driving nortbound on Brookshire Avenue at a very slow rate of speed when she turned left onto Woodland Street and hit 75-year-old Marguerita McIntosh, also of Ventura.

CHP officer Steve Reid said McIntosh was in the crosswalk and was crossing the street legally when she was hit by the bus. She suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to Ventura County Medical Center in critical condition. She died from her injuries at 6:38 p.m., according to the Star report.

No other injuries were reported. The children were not physically hurt, but school officials said extra counselors would be available to make sure the kids were all right after the trauma they witnessed.

Officer Reid said a drug recognition evaluator determined that Madaule was under the influence of a controlled substance. She was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence.

Madaule’s husband told CBS News that investigators made a mistake. He said his wife had undergone back surgery a week ago and still had IV needle marks on her arms. He said he believes that blood tests will prove Madaule was not on drugs at the time of the accident.

CHP officials confirmed that Madaule had failed a field sobriety test, according to ABC News. Reid said final blood test results would be forwarded to the District Attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges against the bus driver.

Ventura Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A bicyclist was hospitalized after being hit by a car in San Clemente. (Photo: David Bro | Orange County Register)

Bicycle accident: A female cyclist was hospitalized Monday after she was struck by a car at a dangerous five-way intersection in San Clemente.

•    A large car hit a cyclist and ran over her bike at a busy five-way intersection in San Clemente.

•    The cyclist was hospitalized.

•    Residents said the intersection is dangerous because there are no traffic lights and drivers often ignore stop signs. 

The accident occurred at about 9:45 a.m. at the ntersection of West Avenida de Los Lobos Marinos and South Ola Vista, according to a report in the Orange County Register.

San Clemente chief of police John Coppock  said 39-year-old Laguna Niguel resident Angela Peebles was riding a bicycle southbound on South Ola Vista when she was struck by a 1987 Chrysler.

The driver of the Chrysler was 90-year-old Janis Wyatt of San Clemente, Coppock said.

News photos show that the car ran over the bicycle and Peebles was knocked off. She was lying in the street when neighbors heard her screaming and ran out to see if they could help, according to resident Adriana Santini.

“We came out and she was just lying there howling,” Adriana Santini told the Register. Santini said Peebles was riding with her husband,

An off-duty county paramedic stopped to assist Peebles and waited with her until an ambulance arrived. The victim was transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for injuries she suffered in the accident. Police called the injuries minor. (Minor injuries can include bone fractures, lacerations, strains and sprains, and many other injuries that are not life-threatening. )

Residents say the busy five-way intersection where the accident took place is dangerous because it is not controlled by traffic lights. Todd Snider, who has lived near the intersection for 27 years, told the Register that cars often speed through and ignore the stop signs.

Coppock said police would monitor the intersection but no specific plans for increased enforcement were planned. The accident is under investigation.

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 Clemente Bicycle Accident Lawyers

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

One person was killed and three others seriously injured when a drowsy driver hit another vehicle on Highway 46 near Paso Robles.

Fatal highway crash: One person was killed and three others hospitalized Sunday night when a drowsy driver turned into oncoming traffic and crashed into another vehicle on Highway 46 in Shandon, about 15 miles east of Paso Robles.

•   A drowsy driver in an SUV made an unsafe turn, crossing a center line on a two-lane highway. He crashed head-on into an oncoming car.

•   The driver in the car was killed on impact. His passenger was hospitalized with serious injuries.

•   The SUV driver and his passenger also were hospitalized with serious injuries. 

The deadly car accident occurred 10 minutes before midnight, according to a report in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The California Highway Patrol said 32-year-old Marysville resident Eric Wellington was driving a 2002 Ford Expedition sports utility vehicle eastbound on Highway 46 at the time of the crash.

Wellington turned into oncoming traffic at McMillan Avenue and crashed head-on into a westbound 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 50-year-old Cirigo Arias of Kettleman City.

The violent impact to the left front side of the Grand Prix killed Arias instantly. The front wheel of the car was knocked off and the car spun out, finally stopping on the shoulder on the westbound side of the highway.

Meanwhile, the collision caused Wellington’s SUV to roll over, blocking both lanes of the highway.

Arias was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 31-year-old Everado Martinez, suffered serious injuries. She was hospitalized at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, according to a KEYT News report.

Wellington and his passenger, 27-year-old Rosalie Wellington, also suffered serious injuries. They also were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center to be treated.

The CHP said driver fatigue (Wellington) was a major factor in the accident. Alcohol and drugs did not appear to be involved.

Paso Robles 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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A local doctor was killed when he crashed into a stray horse near Rancho Palos Verdes. (Photo: ABC News)

Fatal car accident: A prominent optometrist was killed Tuesday when his Mercedes collided with a stray horse on Crenshaw Boulevard in Rolling Hills Estates, a few miles northeast of Rancho Palos Verdes.

•  A horse got loose from a riding facility, ran into traffic, and darted in front of a car. 

•  The car hit the horse and then crashed into a  fence.

•  The horse and driver both died.

The tragic accident occurred at about 2 a.m., according to a report in the Long Beach Press Telegram.

The doctor, 69-year-old Ryan Yonny Koyama of Palos Verdes, was driving a 2003 Mercedes SL 500 southbound on Crenshaw Boulevard when he ran into a horse just north of Palos Verdes Drive North.

The horse had escaped from the Seahorse Riding Club, located at 26411 Crenshaw Boulevard. A riding trail crosses the busy street there. The horse was ”running in the traffic lanes,” according to the California Highway Patrol report. The CHP also said  the horse was wearing a fly mask, which could have contributed to the animal’s disorientation, according to the Palos Verdes Peninsula News.

CHP investigators said the horse darted out in front of Koyama’s car, according to LA Weekly. Koyama’s Mercedes struck the horse and then went out of control and crashed into a wood and chain-link fence.

Koyama suffered severe injuries and was taken to Torrance Memorial Medical Center in critical condition, according to a CBS News report.  He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The horse also suffered severe injuries and was euthanized at the scene.

Seahorse Riding Club trainer Devon Gibson told the Press-Telegram that all of the gates were locked at the facility and he did not know how the horse had escaped.

“It’s horrific,” Gibson told the newspaper. “A human lost its life and a horse was smashed in two. It’s a horrific loss of life.”

CHP officer John Tye said investigators would take a deeper look into the case.

“Anytime someone is injured or killed, the intensity of our investigation goes up,”  Tye said, adding that detectives will be  probing details such as “how the horse got loose and who was looking after it.”

No criminal wrongdoing is suspected.

Rancho Palos Verdes 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 and property-related 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 passenger in a Jeep was killed when the driver ran a red light and was struck by a school bus in Rancho Cordova. (Photos: Channel 10 News)

Fatal car accident: One person was killed and two others injured Tuesday when a Jeep ran a red light and collided with a school bus in a rural area of Rancho Cordova, about 17 miles east of downtown Sacramento.

Police suspect the driver of the Jeep was under the influence of alcohol.

•   A drunk driver ina Jeep Cherokee ran a red light at a busy intersection and was broadsided by an empty school bus.

•   A passenger in the Jeep was killed. The bus driver was hospitalized with minor to moderate injuries.

•   The Jeep driver sustained major injuries and was expected to be arrested for drunk driving.

The accident occurred at about 3:50 p.m., according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jasper Begay said a 1996 Jeep Cherokee, driven by a 50-year-old woman whose identity was not released, was traveling westbound on Jackson Highway at the time of the accident.

The Jeep ran a red light at Sunrise Boulevard. An Elk Grove Unified School District bus was traveling southbound on Sunrise and could not stop in time to avoid slamming into the passenger side of the Jeep.

The male passenger riding in the front seat of the Jeep — later identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s office as 66-year-old Lawrence Perez of Sacramento – was killed on impact. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Jeep suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital to be treated. Begay said the woman would be arrested on drunk driving charges.

The school bus driver was hospitalized with minor to moderate injuries, Begay said. There were no passengers on the bus.

 Sacramento 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.

An elderly driver in a Jeep SUV crashed into an oncoming vehicle, killing the other driver, on Highway 25 in Gilroy. (Photo: KSBW)

Fatal car accident: A 31-year-old man was killed Friday morning when an 81-year-old driver veered into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into three vehicles on Highway 25 near Gilroy.

•   An elderly man in a Jeep crossed the center line on a rural highway bridge and crashed head-on into three other vehicles. 

•   The driver of the first struck vehicle died at the scene. His passenger was airlifted to a hospital. 

•   The elderly driver suffered minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.

•   Alcohol was not a factor.

The rural highway crash occurred at 5:40 a.m., according to a Gilroy Dispatch report updated Monday.

California Highway Patrol Officer Erica Elias said Saratoga resident Salvadore Territo, 81, had been reported as a missing person before the accident.

Territo was driving a 1995 Jeep SUV southbound on Highway 25 when he crossed the center line and veered into the northbound lane on the Carnadero Creek Bridge near Highway 101.

The Jeep slammed head-on into a 1996 Plymouth driven by 31-year-old  Eliaquin Perez of Gilroy, and then smashed into two other vehicles –  a 1998 Saturn and a 1997 Ford — that were traveling northbound directly behind the Plymouth. All three of the cars involved in the secondary collision crashed into the bridge abutment.

Perez died at the scene. His passenger, 27-year-old Freddy Perez, also of Gilroy, was airlifted via helicopter to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose to be treated for injuries he suffered in the accident. Territo sustained minor injuries and was taken to San Jose Regional Medical Center to be treated.

No other injuries were reported.

Officials closed Highway 25 from Bolsa Road to Bloomfield Avenue for almost four hours while they cleared the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation. Officer Elias said alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the accident.

Gilroy 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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Auburn resident Jeffrey Sandow (inset) was charged with vehicular manslaughter after a boat accident that killed two people and injured two others on Englebright Lake. (Photos: CBS News)

A 54-year-old Auburn man who was under the influence of alcohol was arrested after a boat accident that killed two people Saturday night on Englebright Lake, about 65 miles north of Sacramento.

•   An intoxicated boater slammed his powerboat into the side of a family’s waterski boat on a popular Northern California lake.

•   A mother and daughter who were aboard the waterski boat were killed in the accident. The father, who was driving, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

•   A passenger on the powerboat also was hospitalized with injuries. 

•   The drunk boater was not hurt but he was arrested on two vehicular manslaughter charges and booked into jail without bail.

The tragic accident occurred at around 6:30 p.m., according to a CBS News report.

According to the Yuba County Sheriff’s department, 42-year-old Paul Peterlin of Penn Valley was driving a waterski boat on the lake — with his wife Cynthia, 42, and their 12-year-old daughter aboard — when Jeffrey Sandow slammed into them with his powerboat.

The violent impact nearly cut the Peterlins’ boat in two, sheriff’s Lt. Damon Gil said told Channel 10 News. Cynthia Peterlin and her daughter both were killed. It took a dive team nearly an hour to recover their bodies from the lake.

Paul Peterlin suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized, Gil said. A man who was aboard Sandow’s boat also was injured and hospitalized, but his identity was not released.

Investigators are still looking into what caused Sandow to crash into the Peterlins’ boat, but evidence showed that he was under the influence of alcohol when the collision occurred, Gil said. His blood alcohol level was not released, but Gil said the Auburn man was intoxicated.

Sandow was arrested on two counts of vehicular manslaughter with special circumstances. He was booked into a Yuba County jail, where he was being held without bail, Gil said.

Boating Under the Influence

Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in deaths caused by recreational boating accidents, according to the Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Statistics 2011 report.

Laws against drunk driving also apply to drunk boating. The law, outlined in the Harbors and Navigation Code Section 655, states:

No person shall operate any vessel or manipulate water skis, an aquaplane, or a similar device while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug.

Like drivers, boaters with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or greater are considered to be intoxicated. In court, a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent or greater can be considered “under the influence” if other evidence supports it.

Yuba County Boating Accident Lawyers

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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

The driver of this flatbed pickup truck was killed when he crashed head-on into a big-rig on Highway 12 near Lodi. (Photo: Will Heryford/KCRA News)

Fatal highway accident: A 22-year-old man driving a flatbed pickup truck was killed Thursday when he crashed head-on into a big-rig on Highway 12 between Lodi and Rio Vista.

•   A pickup truck driver was weaving in and out oncoming traffic lanes on a rural highway and eventually crashed head-on into a big-rig.

•   The pickup truck driver died at the scene.  

•   The big-rig driver was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in the accident.

•   The accident led to three more collisions involving five vehicles. 

•   The CHP did not yet know if drugs or alcohol were involved.

The deadly accident occurred just before 6 a.m., according to a report in the Stockton Record.

California Highway Patrol Officer Angel Arceo said 22-year-old Richard Kenneth Hartman of Oakley was driving a 2012 Ford F-550 flatbed pickup truck eastbound on Highway 12 at the time of the accident.

Highway 12 is a two-lane road. Witnesses reported Hartman’s eastbound truck weaving in and out of the westbound lane starting in Rio Vista, Arceo said. Fourteen miles later — at Peatland Road, near Interstate 5 — the pickup truck veered into the westbound lane again and crashed head-on into an oncoming big-rig driven by 44-year-old Tersem Singh of Lodi.

Hartman died at the scene. Singh was transported via ground ambulance to Lodi Memorial Hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in the accident.

That crash led to three more accidents on the highway, Arceo said. At least five vehicles were involved in those accidents, including two semi trucks and a truck hauling construction equipment. One of the trucks was pushed off of the highway and into an irrigation ditch, according to a KCRA News report. No major injuries were reported.

CHP investigators had not determined whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, Arceo said. Toxicology reports were pending.

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

In this case, the driver who caused the accident suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. But the big-rig driver also was injured. Can he 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.

Lodi 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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A Jeep Cherokee tumbled off the 259 freeway, killing the driver and seriously injuring two passengers.

Fatal SUV rollover crash: A driver died and his passengers were seriously injured Saturday night when an SUV rolled over the edge of Highway 259 in San Bernardino.

•   A Jeep Cherokee hit a curb on the freeway, rolled over, and plummeted down a steep embankment onto a street below.

•   The driver was thrown from the car and died. 

•   An adult passenger suffered major injuries and a 3-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries.

The deadly freeway accident occurred at 11:20 p.m., according to an article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Calilfornia Highway Patrol investigators said 26-year-old David Alex Trujillo of Colton was driving a 1993 Jeep Cherokee  southbound on Highway 259 near Highland Avenue at the time of the wreck.

For unknown reasons, the Jeep veered to the right and hit a side curb. That caused the vehicle to roll over and crash into a guard rail. Then it tumbled of of the freeway and down a steep embankment, the CHP report stated. The vehicle landed on I Street, near 21st Street.

Trujillo was ejected from the vehicle. He died at the scene.

A passenger who was riding in the front seat of the Jeep,  21-year-old Frankie J. Ruiz of Colton, suffered major injuries. No information about his condition was available.

Another passenger, a 3-year-old boy from Rialto, was riding in the back seat. He suffered minor injuries. His relationship to the other two occupants of the vehicle was not immediately known.

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

In this case, the CHP has not yet determined what caused the accident. Even it it does turn out to be the fault of the driver who suffered fatal injuries, what happens to the passengers who were seriously injured in the accident? Can they still make a claim, even though the at-fault driver died in the accident?

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.

San Bernardino 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 and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.