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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

A civilian woman was killed when a Marine Corps humvee (above) slammed head-on into her car in Joshua Tree. (Cropped from a photo by Jimmy Biggerstaff | Hi-Desert Star)

Fatal Humvee crash: A 26-year-old Yucca Valley woman was killed Friday when a U.S. Marine Corps Humvee slammed into her Ford Focus on Highway 62 in Joshua Tree.

•   A military Humvee veered across the center line of a highway near the U.S. Marines Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.

•   The Humvee crashed head-on into an oncoming Ford Focus driven by a 26-year-old woman.

•   Both vehicles overturned.

•   The woman driving the Ford Focus died at the scene.

The deadly rural highway accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m., according to a report in the Hi-Desert Star.

California Highway Patrol officials said the military Humvee was driven by 19-year-old Juan Lira, a U.S. Marine from Oceanside.

Marine Corps Captain Nick Mannweiler, spokesman for the Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, said the Humvee came from a Camp Pendleton-based unit.

Lira was driving the Humvee eastbound on Highway 62. For unknown reasons he allowed the vehicle to drift across the center divider into the oncoming traffic lane about one mile east of White Feather Road.

The Humvee crashed head-on into a westbound 2010 Ford Focus driven by 26-year-old Kristin Thrawl of Yucca Valley. The violent impact caused the Ford Focus to roll over and land on its roof. The Humvee rolled onto its side. (See photo.)

Thrawl died at the scene. She was pronounced dead at about 3:45 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office.

Lira was not injured.

The CHP is investigating the accident.

Joshua Tree Car Accident Lawyers

One person was killed and three others were injured in a rural highway accident in Somis.

Fatal highway accident: One person was killed and three others injured Monday in a five-car crash on State Route 118 in Somis.

•     A driver rear-ended a car in front of him on a rural highway, pushing the car into the oncoming traffic lane.

•     The car was broadsided by an oncoming truck. The driver died from his injuries.

•     Two other cars were hit in the accident.

•     All of the drivers were injured and taken to hospitals.

The deadly car accident  just before 4:30 p.m., according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

California Highway Patrol officials said 28-year-old Moorpark resident Domingo Mendoza was driving westbound on Highway 118 (Los Angeles Avenue) at about 50 mph when he rear-ended a sedan driven by 37-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Tamlatzi of Oxnard.

The impact pushed Tamlatzi’s car sideways into the eastbound lane, where it was broadsided by a truck driven by 40-year-old Francisco Arroyo of Moorpark.

Meanwhile, Mendoza’s car rearended a minivan driven by 38-year-old Raul Lopez of Camarillo. The impact from that crash pushed Lopez’s vehicle into a fifth car, driven by 28-year-old Aimee Birkner of Simi Valley.

Tamlatzi suffered severe injuries and was rushed to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where he died at 6:57 p.m.

Mendoza and Lopez sustained injuries and were taken to Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura, CHP officials said. The nature and extent of their injuries was not immediately reported.

Arroyo suffered minor injuries and was treated at Los Robles Hospital.

The accident remained under investigation.

Somis Highway Accident Lawyers

One driver was killed and four other people were hospitalized after an accident on SR 84 in Sunol.

Highway crash: One person died and another four were hospitalized Saturday morning after a head-on collision on State Route 84 in Sunol.

•    A man driving a Dodge Viper suddenly crossed into oncoming traffic on a rural highway.

•    The Dodge crashed head-on into a Toyota pickup truck carrying three passengers.

•   The Dodge driver died at the scene. All four occupants of the Toyota truck were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

The deadly car accident occurred around 9:15 a.m., according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

California Highway Patrol officials said 46-year-old Todd Shur of Hayward was driving a 2003 Dodge Viper eastbound on State Route 84 near Main Street in Sunol when the accident occurred.

For unknown reasons, Shur suddenly swerved to the left and crossed the double yellow center line, driving directly into the path of oncoming traffic on the two-lane rural highway, according to a KTVU News report.

Shur’s Dodge crashed head-on into a westbound 2012 Toyota pick-up truck driven by a 48-year-old man from Stockton.

The impact caused the Dodge to skid onto the dirt shoulder; it spun around and came to rest facing the opposite direction.  The Toyota truck, meanwhile, rolled over onto its left side and completely blocked the westbound lane.

A 2002 Chevrolet, driven by a 41-year-old man from Union City, was traveling directly behind the Toyota truck at the time of the accident. The driver of the Chevrolet braked and swerved to avoid the crash, according to the KTVU report, but his vehicle was struck by debris and was disabled in the westbound lane.

Shur died at the scene.

The driver of the Toyota truck and three of his passengers were taken to San Jose Regional Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries they suffered in the accident. The KTVU report said the victims were complaining of back pain.

The driver of the Chevrolet did not report any 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.

Sunol Highway Accident Lawyers

A drunk driver was killed and four people were injured in a highway accident in Santee. (Video capture: Channel 10 News)

Highway crash: A drunk driver died and four other people were seriously injured Sunday night in a wrong-way accident on State Route 52 in Santee.

•    A drunk driver drove onto a highway in the wrong direction and slammed head-on into a minivan.

•    The drunk driver died instantly. 

•    A mother and her three daughters, who were in the minivan, were hospitalized with major injuries. The mother and one daughter were in critical condition.

The drunk-driving accident occurred at about 9:10 p.m., according to a Channel 10 News report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr said 30-year-old Matthew Leonardo of Santee got onto State Route 52 driving the wrong direction. He was driving a 2012 Ford Focus westbound  in the eastbound lanes of State Route 52 when the accident happened.

The Ford Focus slammed head-on into an oncoming 2001 Dodge Caravan driven by the 45-year-old Alisa Cunningham of Spring Valley, whose husband Will Cunningham is the boys varsity basketball coach at Cathedral Catholic High School. Three of their daughters — Taylor, Jayden, and Logan – were in the minivan.

The vehicles were traveling  65 to 70 mph when they crashed. Doerr said Leonardo, who “had the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage about him,” was killed instantly.

Alisa Cunningham and all three of her daughters were rushed to Sharp Memorial Hospital and were scheduled to undergo surgery for multiple broken bones. The mother and 17-year-old Taylor, who was named Miss San Diego’s Outstanding Teen 2013, were listed in critical condition. Jayden and Logan were listed in stable condition.

Taylor was riding in the front passenger seat and suffered severe head injuries. She remained unconscious as doctors attempted to reduce the swelling on her brain, according to the Channel 10 video report.

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.

San Diego Highway Accident Lawyers

Two people were killed in a rural highway accident in Jamestown.

Fatal highway crash: Three people were killed Saturday in a head-on collision on Highway 120 in Jamestown, about 40 miles east of Modesto.

•    A driver allowed his Toyota to drift into oncoming traffic on a rural highway, where it crashed head-on into an Acura.

•    Both drivers were killed. A passenger in the Acura also died.

•    A second passenger in the Acura was hospitalized with major injuries.

The deadly car accident occurred at 3:12 p.m., just east of Highway 108, according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

California Highway Patrol officials said a 2ooo Toyota, driven by a 59-year-old man from Manteca, was traveling eastbound on Highway 120 when it drifted into the westbound lane.

The Toyota veered directly into the path of a 1999 Acura, driven by a 51-year-old Roseville man.  The two vehicles crashed head-on, the CHP reported.

Both drivers and a 65-year-old woman from Manteca who was riding in the Acura were pronounced dead at the scene.

Another passenger in the Acura, a 57-year-old Roseville woman, suffered major injuries and was airlifted to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.

According to the Bee, at least nine people died in motor vehicle accidents in Modesto during the same week.

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.

Modesto Highway Accident Lawyers

A crushed Cadillac was all that was left after a big-rig rear-ended the car on Highway 99 near Modesto, killing three people. (Photos: Modesto Bee | modbee.com)

Triple-fatal truck accident: Three people were killed Monday when a big-rig rear-ended their car on Highway 99 in Ceres, about 5 miles south of Modesto.

•   Six men were in a disabled car on Highway 99 when they were struck from behind by a big-rig.

•   Three of the men in the back seat of the car were killed immediately.

•   The other three men in the car were hospitalized with serious injuries.

•   The truck driver was not hurt. 

The deadly highway accident occurred just before dawn, at about 6:20 a.m., according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

California Highway Patrol officer Chuck Leon said a southbound  Cadillac with six people inside was either traveling very slowly or stopped in the slow lane of Highway 99, possibly due to a flat tire, when the accident occurred.

A big-rig driven by 43-year-old Varinder Badial of Yuba City was traveling southbound at about 57 mph when it hit the Cadillac from behind.

The impact crushed the rear of the Cadillac, killing three men in the back seat. The men were identified as  Jose Jaime Botello-Herrera, Erasmo Tello Jaimes, and a third man whose name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin. The Bee reported that Botello-Herrera and the unidentified man were in their 20s, while Jaimes was in his early 50s.

A fourth man who was riding in the back seat, 18-year-old Bryan Aranda, survived but suffered serious head injuries. The driver of the car, 53-year-old Rogelio Reyes Leon, suffered major injuries, and the front seat passenger, 26-year-old Antonio Lopez, suffered moderate injuries. All three of the men were hospitalized.

All of the men in the car were migrant workers who were traveling to a local farm to install sprinklers, according to the Bee report.

The truck driver was not injured.

Leon said the CHP does not suspect that drugs, alcohol, or texting were involved in the accident.

Fresno Truck Accident Lawyers

One teen was killed and two others injured in a single-car highway accident in Napa.

Rural highway accident: A 19-year-old died and two other teens were seriously injured Sunday afternoon when their car went off the road and down an embankment on Highway 21 in Napa County.

•    A group of teens was returning from a trip to Lake Berryessa when their car went off the road and rolled down an embankment.

•    The car landed on its roof in a creek. The teens were trapped inside.

•    One of the passengers died. The driver and another passenger were hospitalized with serious injuries.

•    Police said alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

The fatal car accident occurred around 1:30 p.m., according to a report in the Vallejo Times-Herald.

The teens were traveling southbound on Montecello Road — part of Highway 121 — in a 1984 Honda Civic driven by 18-year-old Adam Luzzi of Fairfield.

The Honda was part of a car caravan comprised of friends who were returning home from a trip to Lake Berryessa.

Luzzi lost control of the Honda for unknown reasons and the car went off the road about a mile south of Circle Oaks Drive, said California Highway Patrol Officer Garrett Ray.

The Honda rolled over and landed on its roof about 40 feet below the road in a creek, according to a report in the Napa Valley Register.

A CHP officer who was on patrol in the area noticed a group of people from the caravan, who had gotten out of their vehicles and were walking down the embankment to try to help their friends.

The CHP officer called authorities and then climbed down the embankment to try to help the victims, who were trapped in the overturned Honda.

One of the passengers, 19-year-old Cody Dalen, died at the scene.

Luzzi sustained major injuries and was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. He was listed in stable condition Monday morning. Another passenger, 17-year-old Antonio Del Castillo of Fairfield, suffered moderate injuries. He also was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center, but was no longer in the hospital Monday morning.

Officer Ray said there was no indication that alcohol was a factor and that investigators were looking into whether excess speed may have been involved.

Napa Highway 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 car ran a red light on Highway 29 and hit a school bus that was exiting Highway 37 in Vallejo.

Highway accident: Both drivers were injured Tuesday night when a car and a school bus crashed into a retaining wall on a Highway 37 onramp in Vallejo.

•   A school bus exited Highway 37 and was making a left turn onto Highway 29.

•   A car ran a red light on Highway 29 and crashed into the school bus.

•   Both vehicles then crashed into a retaining wall. 

•   Both drivers were injured.

The accident occurred at about 9:20 p.m., according to a news report in the Vallejo Times-Herald.

Witnesses told California Highway Patrol officers that the school bus exited Highway 37 and was making a left turn onto Highway 29 when an Acura traveling northbound on Highway 29 ran a red light.

The Acura crashed into the school bus, which was not carrying any passengers. The impact forced both vehicles into a retaining wall on an adjacent Highway 37 ramp.

The bus driver was transported to a hospital to be treated for “minor injuries” he suffered in the accident. (See description of minor injuries below.)

The Acura driver was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency workers. He also was taken to a hospital.

Authorities said there were no passengers on the school bus and no other injuries were reported.

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.

Vallejo Highway 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.

Two people were killed in a head-on crash on Twentynine Palms Highway in Morongo Valley.

Fatal highway accident: Two drivers were killed Monday afternoon in a head-on collision on Twentynine Palms Highway in Morongo Valley.

•   A BMW sedan crossed the center lines on a rural highway and veered into oncoming traffic.

•   The BMW crashed head-on into an oncoming SUV.

•   Both drivers died at the scene.

The deadly car accident occurred in the afternoon near near Ole Street, according to a news report in the High Desert Star.

A BMW sedan was traveling westbound on Twentynine Palms Highway when the driver, a 50-year-old Anaheim Hills man, crossed the center lines and veered into  the eastbound lanes.

The BMW crashed head-on into an oncoming  Toyota sports utility vehicle, driven by a 54-year-old woman from Morongo Valley. The SUV rolled over onto the south shoulder.

Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and were pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation.

Ask the personal injury lawyer: 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.

Morongo Valley Highway 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.