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A 22-year-old was killed by a wrong-way driver on SR 56 in Rancho Penasquitos.

Fatal highway crash: A 22-year-old man was killed Thursday when a wrong-way driver slammed into his car on State Route 56 in Rancho Penasquitos, 20 miles north of central San Diego.

•   An 18-year-old in a Land Rover SUV veered across the center median of State Route 56 and slammed head-on into an oncoming Toyota Scion. 

•   The 22-year-old driver of the Scion died at the scene.

•   The wrong-way driver was hospitalized with severe injuries.  Police suspect he was under the influence of some kind of medication or controlled substance at the time of the fatal accident.

The deadly head-on car accident occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., according to a CBS Channel 8 News report.

California Highway Patrol officials said 18-year-old Timothy Barnette of San Diego was driving a 2002 Land Rover Discovery SUV eastbound on State route 56 when he suddenly lost control and veered across the sandy center median into oncoming traffic.

The Land Rover slammed head-on into a westbound 2010 Toyota Scion driven by 22-year-old Nick Hart.

Marine Corps veteran Danny Donnellan, who was driving behind the Scion witnessed the entire accident. He said the impact launched the Land Rover “almost straight up in the air.” Barnett was ejected from his vehicle and had to be removed from underneath the SUV, which had traveled up an embankment.

Donnellan, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, tried to use his first aid training to assist the victims but Hart — who had to be extricated from his crushed compact car — had no pulse and was bleeding profusely from his ear.

“He had obviously suffered a blunt trauma to the head,” Donnellan told CBS8 News. Hart died at the scene.

Donnellan said the wrong-way driver, Barnette, was conscious but in shock and “obviously very confused as to what had happened.”  Barnette was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla to be treated for severe injuries. He later was reported to be in fair condition.

CHP investigators suspected that Barnette was under the influence of some type of medication or other controlled substance at the time of the crash. A spokesman for the CHP said criminal charges were expected to be filed against the 18-year-old, pending toxicology results.

San Diego Highway Crash Lawyers

An SUV jumped a curb and killed an elderly pedestrian at a bus stop in Fresno. (Photo: ABC News)

Fatal pedestrian accident: An SUV jumped a curb and killed an elderly woman waiting at a bus stop Thursday near Fresno.

•   An elderly pedestrian was standing on a sidewalk near a bus stop when an SUV jumped the curb and struck her.

•   The pedestrian, who suffered severe injuries, was rushed to the hospital, where she died.

•   Police located the driver of the SUV, but did not release any information about him.

The deadly accident – on Shaw Avenue near Pollasky Avenue in Clovis — occurred shortly before 7 a.m., according to an ABC News report.

Clovis Police Sgt. Jim Koch said a sports utility vehicle traveling eastbound on Shaw Avenue jumped the curb for unknown reasons and went up onto the sidewalk near Pollasky Avenue.

The SUV struck 73-year-old Enedina Carrillo, who was standing on the sidewalk near a bus stop.

Carrillo was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center, where she died from the injuries she suffered in the accident, according to a report in the Fresno Bee.

Police did not release the identity of the SUV driver.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

Every two minutes, a pedestrian is killed by a motor vehicle somewhere in the United States. Every eight minutes, another pedestrian is injured. In 2010, that added up to 4,280 pedestrian deaths and an estimated 70,000 serious pedestrian injuries in traffic crashes across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Fresno Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

A man was arrested after driving his car off a road and killing his passenger near Fresno..

Fatal car accident: A 20-year-old man was arrested on manslaughter charges Saturday after he drove his car off the road in Fresno, killing his passenger.

•     A 20-year-old driver was traveling 70 mph on a steep, curvy road when he lost control of his vehicle.

•     The car went off the road, flipped over, and rolled several times down an embankment.

•     The only passenger, also 20 years old, died at the scene.

•     The driver was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter.

The deadly single-vehicle accident occurred at about 1 p.m. on Sky Harbour Road near Millerton Lake, according to a report in the Fresno Bee.

California Highway Patrol officials said Fresno resident John A. Ramos, 20, was driving a 1995 Chevrolet Beretta northbound on the lakeside road at about 70 mph — far too fast for the curvy road — when he lost control of his vehicle.

The car slid across both lanes, flipped over, and rolled several times down an embankment before it landed several hundred feet northwest of the road, the CHP said.

Ramos’s passenger — a 20-year old Fresno man whose identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin — somehow managed to crawl out of the vehicle, but he died at the scene.

Ramos also was able to get out of the car. He walked up to the road and waited for emergency crews to arrive. He was was arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges and taken to Community Regional Medical Center to be treated for moderate injuries he sustained in the accident.

CHP officials said Ramos would be booked into Fresno County Jail when he was released from the hospital.

Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the fatal crash.

Fresno Car Accident Lawyers

A driver was killed when her car was T-boned by another driver who ran a red light in El Cajon. (Photo: CBS8)

Fatal car accident: A 36-year-old woman was killed Thursday when her car was broadsided by another driver who ran a red light in El Cajon.

•   At an El Cajon intersection where red-light cameras have been disabled, a motorist in an Acura ran the light and broadsided a Chevrolet sedan. 

•   The impact toppled the Chevy onto its side.

•   The driver of the Chevy died at the scene.

The deadly traffic accident occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of  East Washington and South Mollison avenues, according to a CBS Channel 8 News report.

El Cajon Police Lt. Frank La Haye said El Cajon resident Nicole Hay, 36, as driving a Chevrolet Sonic southbound on Mollison Avenue when she entered the intersection at East Washington Avenue on a green light.

A westbound Acura Integra, driven by a 43-year-old El Cajon woman whose identity was not immediately released, ran a red light on Washington Avenue and slammed into the side of Hay’s car. The impact knocked the Sonic over onto the driver’s side.

Hay died at the scene.

The driver of the Integra was seriously injured. Witnesses at the scene administered first aid until paramedics arrived, when the woman was taken to a hospital to be treated. Lt. La Haye said her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The intersection was previously monitored by red light cameras, but the cameras were covered in canvas at the time of the accident. According to the CBS report, the city council recently voted to shut off some of the cameras, and the intersection where this fatal accident took place was one of those affected.

 El Cajon Car Accident Lawyers

A mother of three was killed when her car was hit by a wrong-way driver in Mission Viejo. (Photo: ABC News)

Fatal car accident: A mother of three was killed Tuesday when her car was slammed by a wrong-way driver on Santa Margarita Parkway in Mission Viejo.

•   A wrong-way driver in a pickup truck crashed head-on into a miivan driven by a mother of three children.

•   The minivan driver died at the scene.

•   The wrong-way driver sustained critical injuries.

•   Authorities said the wrong-way driver, who had a prior DUI conviction, may have been  under the influence of alcohol when the fatal car accident occurred.

The deadly accident occurred at about 11:40 p.m., according to an ABC News report.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino said 42-year-old William Carroll of Mission Viejo as driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck on El Toro Road when he made a left turn, heading south, into the northbound side of Santa Margarita Parkway.

The pickup truck slammed into an oncoming northbound Toyota Sienna minivan driven by 36-year-old Ana Martinez of Trabuco Canyon.

Martinez, who was the mother of three children between the ages of 7 and 14, died at the scene.

Carroll suffered major injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital, where he initially was listed in critical condition.

The Sheriff’s Department said that the wrong-way driver had a prior DUI conviction and that alcohol was suspected as a factor in the fatal accident.

 Mission Viejo Car Accident Lawyers

A hit-and-run driver ran a red light and caused a fatal multi-car accident in Temecula. (Photo: SWRNN)

Fatal hit-and-run crash:  Police arrested a Menifee man on vehicular homicide charges after he ran a red light, caused a fatal accident, and fled the scene Monday in Temecula.

•   A driver in a pickup truck ran a red light and crashed into two cars in an intersection in front of a shopping center.

•   The truck driver fled the scene.

•   One woman was killed and two others were seriously injured in the hit-and-run crash. 

•   Police caught and arrested the hit-and-run driver, who was treated for injuries and released. He was charged with vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run.

The deadly car accident occurred at about 2:45 p.m. at the intersection of Rancho California Road and Town Center, according to a Valley News report.

Witnesses told police that a man — later identified as 63-year-old Travis Hughes Braswell of Menifee — was driving a pickup truck westbound on Rancho California Road when he ran a red light at the Town Center shopping area.

The truck slammed into a gold Pontiac, and then spun out of control and crashed into a gold Saturn. Braswell fled the scene.

The woman driving the Pontiac, 27-year-old Sharina Thomason of Escondido, suffered deadly injuries was taken to a nearby hospital in “full arrest,” Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann told the Southwest Riverside News Network. Thomason was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Two other victims were taken to hospitals to be treated for moderate and minor injuries, Hagemann said.

Police found Braswell in the shopping center. He was transported to a local hospital to be treated, and then arrested on vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run charges.  Police booked Braswell into the Southwest Detention Center.

The accident remains under investigation. Anyone with further information is urged to contact the Temecula Police Department at 951-696-3000.

Temecula Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

A 20-year-old man (inset) was arrested for a hit-and-run bicycle crash at Salinas High School. (Photo: KSBW)

Police arrested a 20-year-old man Monday for a hit-and-run accident involving a 16-year-old Salinas High School student last week.

•   A high school student was walking his bicycle in a crosswalk when he was hit by a Ford Bronco.

•   The Bronco fled the scene.

•   A week later, police found the Bronco at another school. The driver confessed to the earlier hit-and-run accident and was arrested.

The bicycle accident occurred on Monday, April 29, according to a KSBW News report.

Salinas Police Officer Gerard Ross said the student, whose identity was not released, was walking his bicycle in a crosswalk on South Main Street near Acacia Street when he was struck by a Ford Bronco that fled the scene.

The student was hospitalized with multiple injuries on his body and face, Ross said.

Several witnesses called police to report that a Bronco that matched the description of the hit-and-run vehicle — it had a distinct red passenger door — was seen dropping off children at Mission Park School on the Friday following the accident.

On Monday, police saw the Bronco pull up at Mission Park School and questioned the driver, 20-year-old Brent Adams (pictured). Adams confessed that he was the driver in the hit-and-run accident involving the Salinas High School student.

Adams was arrested and booked into Monterey County Jail.

Monterey Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

A drunk driver drove the wrong way on Highway 24 in Lafayette and caused a fatal accident.

Fatal freeway crash: A drunk driver who was going the wrong way on Highway 24 crashed into another vehicle and killed the driver Friday in Lafayette.

•   A drunk driver drove the wrong way on the freeway and crashed head-on into another vehicle.

•   The other driver was killed in the freeway crash.

•   A third car was involved in the accident. 

•   The  drunk driver was arrested.

The deadly drunk driving accident occurred at around 1:30 a.m., according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

California Highway Patrol Officer John Fransen said 20-year-old Annelise McKay of Brentwood was driving a Toyota Avalon, with only one working headlight, eastbound in the westbound lanes of the freeway near St. Stephens Road.

The Toyota crashed head-on into a westbound Geo Metro driven by 51-year-old Alvaro Cruz of Pittsburg. The impact caused the Metro to spin out and crash into a Buick sedan.

Cruz died at the scene.

The driver of the Buick suffered from pain and was taken to a hospital by his wife.

The wrong-way drunk driver sustained minor injuries. She was taken to John Muir Medical Center and then released into police custody. She was arrested on drunk driving charges. The CHP did not say whether she would face any additional charges.

Lafayette Freeway Crash Lawyers

An unsafe lane change on I-80 caused a major injury accident in San Pablo.

Three people were hospitalized with major injuries Thursday after a car accident caused by an unsafe lane change on westbound Interstate 80 in San Pablo.

•    An SUV made an unsafe lane change on I-80 and slammed into a Honda sedan.

•    The Honda crashed into the center divider and flipped over the wall.

•    Three passengers in the Honda were hospitalized with major injuries.

The three-vehicle freeway accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m., according to a report in the Contra Costa Times.

California Highway Patrol officials said the driver of a 2009 Toyota Highlander made an unsafe lane change and crashed into a 1992 Honda Prelude.

The impact caused the driver of the Honda to lose control of the vehicle and it slammed into the center divider, the CHP said. The car flipped over the wall, partially ejecting one of the passengers.

The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries, but all three passengers in that vehicle sustained major injuries and were hospitalized at Doctor’s Medical Center in San Pablo. The three men were from Richmond. Their names were not immediately released.

The driver of the Toyota SUV and a third vehicle involved in the accident were not injured.

Aggressive Driving: Unsafe Lane Changes Cause Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Speeding, improper lane changing, tailgating and improper passing all are examples of aggressive driving, according to the NHTSA.

In California, unsafe lane changes are among the top six causes of car accidents, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

San Pablo Freeway Accident Lawyers

A Caltrans worker was killed in a motorcycle accident near Sacramento.

Fatal motorcycle accident: A Caltrans worker was en route to a memorial service for fellow workers Thursday morning when he was struck by a car and killed on Highway 99 just north of Sacramento.

•    A group of Caltrans workers were riding motorcycles on Highway 99 to the state Capitol for a tribute to fellow workers who died in the job.

•     A Toyota Matrix turned left in front of the riders and collided with one of the riders. 

•    The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike.

•     He died at the scene.

The deadly highway accident occurred at aroound 8:20 a.m., according to a KCRA News report.

The motorcyclist — 51-year-old Dean Patton of Grass Valley — was a maintenance worker for Caltrans. He was riding to the state Capitol on Thursday, his day off, to take part in a memorial ceremony for co-workers who have died on the job.

Patton was riding his 2005 Harley-Davidson southbound on Highway 99 with a group of other motorcyclists. When they approached Riego Road, a 2005 Toyota Matrix — driven by 73-year-old Jintana Walker of Sacramento — suddenly made a left turn onto the highway, directly in front of the riders.

California Highway Patrol officials said Patton did not have time to brake or take evasive action and collided with the Toyota, according to a news report in the Appeal-Democrat.  He was thrown from his bike and died at the scene.

“Caltrans is mourning this tremendous loss that the Patton family and their friends have suffered,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a written statement. “My heart goes out to his wife, Trisha, children, and grandchildren. He was a good man and will be missed by all who worked with him and knew him.”

Sacramento Motorcycle Accident Lawyers