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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

Two motorcyclists were killed in a collision on Highway 49 near Downieville.

Fatal motorcycle accident: Two motorcyclists were killed Sunday afternoon after one of them lost control and skidded directly into the path of the other on Highway 49 near Downieville.

•   A motorcyclist lost control of his Harley and dropped it on its side on a narrow, two-lane mountain highway in the Tahoe National Forest.

•   The motorcycle slid across the double-yellow line into oncoming traffic, into the path of a Yamaha motorcycle.

•   The Yamaha had to swerve sharply to avoid a collision and crashed into a guard rail.

•   Both motorcyclists died at the scene.

The two-lane mountain highway crash occurred at about 3 p.m., according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.

The California Highway Patrol said that a motorcyclist — later identified as 45-year-old Jerry Ralph Godbey of South Lake Tahoe – was traveling southbound on Highway 49 when he lost control of his 1998 Harley-Davidson bike north of the Carlton Flat campground near Downieville.

The Harley went down on its right side and slid into the northbound lane, directly into the path of an oncoming 2008 Yamaha, according to a KXTL News report.

The Yamaha rider was later identified as 51-year-old Purdy Brewington of Reno.

When the Harley slid in front of his motorcycle, Brewington quickly swerved to avoid being hit head-on.

The sudden move sent the Yamaha out of control and off of the roadway to the right shoulder, where it crashed into a guard rail. The impact ejected Brewington from his motorcycle and threw him about 45 feet.

Both motorcyclists were pronounced dead at the scene.

CHP investigators said they did not know why the Harley rider lost control of his motorcycle in the first place.

The road was closed for at least two hours while the preliminary accident investigation was conducted.

Downieville Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

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

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver on I-405 in Irvine. (Photo: Orange County Register | Scene TV)

Fatal DUI crash: Police arrested a drunk driver after a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist Thursday night on Interstate 405 in Irvine.

•   A southbound drunk driver in a Mitsubishi crashed into a Sentra sedan and knocked it across the center divider into the northbound side of the freeway.

•   The Sentra was hit by an oncoming pickup truck and came to a stop in a traffic lane, where it was hit by an oncoming motorcycle.

•   The motorcyclist was killed in the accident.

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

The deadly freeway crash occurred at about 11:33 p.m. on the southbound side of I-405 near Sand Canyon, according to a report in the Orange County Register.

California Highway Patrol officials said 27-year-old Leslie Juarez of Laguna Beach was driving a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse at a high speed, under the influence of alcohol, when she crashed into a 2006 Nissan Sentra on the freeway.

The impact knocked the Sentra over the center median wall and into the carpool and No. 1 and 2 lanes on the northbound side of the freeway, the CHP said in a news release.

A northbound 1995 Toyota Tacoma hit the  Sentra, which brought the Sentra to stop in a traffic lane on the freeway. A 1999 Suzuki motorcycle was unable to stop quickly enough to avoid crashing into the disabled Sentra, the CHP said.

The motorcyclist — a 32-year-old man from Tustin — was killed. His name was withheld, pending notification of his next of kin.

Juarez suffered minor injuries and was taken to Hoag Hospital to be treated. She was arrested on charges of  gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Police later booked her into the Orange County Jail, CHP officer Curtis Martin said in a video interview with the Register (via Scene TV).

The accident remains under investigation. The CHP is urging anyone with information to call the Santa Ana office at (714) 567-6000.

Fatal Drunk Driving Accident Statistics

Almost 11,000 people die every year in drunk driving car accidents on U.S. roads, according to federal government statistics published by the non-profit group Alcohol Alert.  Drunk driving deaths account for more than a third of all U.S. traffic fatalities.

Many people believe drunk drivers fare better than their victims on the road, but that is not true. Almost two-thirds of those who are killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes are drunk drivers.

Drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes are typically not first-time offenders. Statistics show they are eight times more likely to have a prior drunk driving conviction than other drivers involved in fatal accidents.

More than half of drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents have levels of alcohol in their blood that are twice the legal limit — or more.

Irvine 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.