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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

Four people were injured in a highway crash on State Route 1 in Santa Maria.

Rural highway crash: Four people were injured Monday in a head-on collision on Highway 1 in Santa Maria. One of the victims was airlifted to a hospital.

•    A man driving a Cadillac SRX failed to navigate a left turn off of Highway 1, crashed into a guardrail, and careened back into oncoming traffic.

•    The Cadillac hit two vehicles, one head-on. All three drivers and one passenger were injured.  

•    A driver of a pickup truck was severely injured and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

The car accident occurred at about 6:50 a.m., according to a report in the Santa Maria Times.

California Highway Patrol officials said 25-year-old Lompoc resident Jose Arevalo as driving a black Cadillac SRX northbound on Highway 1 when he failed to complete a turn onto Jalama Road.

The Cadillac crossed the southbound lane, hit a guard rail, and careened back into the southbound lane, where it sideswiped a 2005 GMC Sierra driven by 49-year-old Alicia Flores, also of Lompoc.

The Cadillac then crashed head-on into a 1995 Dodge pickup truck driven by 36-year-old Victor Rodriguez, also of Lompoc.  Rodriquez was trapped inside the pickup truck. It took firefighters 40 minutes to extricate him from the vehicle.

Rodriguez suffered severe injuries in the highway crash and was airlifted by helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. His passenger, 57-year-old Laura Taylor, was injured as well, but the nature and extent of her injuries was not immediately known.

Taylor, Arevalo, and Flores all were transported via ground ambulance to Lompoc Valley Hospital to be treated for injuries they sustained in the highway crash.

Highway 1 was temporarily closed while officials cleared the accident scene and conducted a preliminary investigation.

Santa Maria Car 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

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.

ngers  Seven people died and 30 hurt when a tour bus crashed on Highway 38 in Yucaipa. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

Fatal bus accident: Seven people died and at least 30 others were injured Sunday night when a tour bus careened out of control and crashed on a narrow mountain highway in Yucaipa.

•   A tour bus carrying 38 passengers from Tijuana and San Diego went out of control on a downhill stretch of the narrow mountain highway that leads from Big Bear ski area.

•   The bus clipped a car, crushed an oncoming pickup truck, flipped over, and ejected several passengers before coming to rest on top of a big boulder.

•   Seven people died; 30 more were injured, some critically.

•   Federal inspectors had found numerous safety violations on the bus, including bad brakes and a faulty  axle, in the past year.

The mass disaster occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on State Route 38 leading from the Big Bear area in the San Bernardino Mountains, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Mario Lopez said the bus — which had originated in Tijuana, Mexico and was returning from the Big Bear Lake ski resort area — was carrying 38 passengers, including children.

The bus driver, 52-year-old Norberto B. Perez of San Ysidro,  lost control on a downhill stretch near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station and hit a small Saturn sedan. The bus then veered into oncoming traffic and started to flip over, ejecting six passengers, before crashing  into an oncoming Ford pickup truck that was towing a trailer. The truck was completely mangled and crushed.

The tour bus finally came to rest on top of a boulder on the side of the road. Lopez said backpacks, clothing, and body parts were scattered all over the crash site.

“It is a horrific scene,” Lopez told the San Bernardino Sun at the crash site. “It’s  a tragedy. It’s one of the worst collisions I’ve witnessed in my career.”

Seven bus passengers died. The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office had identified six of those victims as of Monday. Three were from San Diego: 61-year-old Guadalupe Olivas, 40-year-old Elvira Garcia Jimenez, and 13-year-old Victor Cabrera Garcia. Three of the remaining four deceased victims were from Tijuana: 38-year-old Aleida Adriana Arce Hernandez, 34-year-old Rubicelia Escobedo Flores, and 32-year-old Mario Garcia Santoyo. The coroner’s office was still attempting to identify the seventh deceased victim.

The man who was driving the pickup truck suffered critical injuries, according to his niece, Beaumont Councilwoman Brenda Knight. Knight told the Sun the prognosis was not good. No further information about his condition was available as of Monday afternoon.

Injured victims who survived the crash were taken to Redlands Community Hospital, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, and Community Hospital of San Bernardino. Some of the victims were in critical condition, while others were in serious, fair, or stable condition, hospital officials told the Sun. Other victims with lesser injuries were treated and released.

The bus driver survived. He told officers at the scene that he had experienced mechanical problems with the bus before it went out of control. It was not yet clear if the brakes went out.

“Speed seems to be a factor, but we don’t know what caused the bus to speed down the mountain road,” Officer Lopez said.

Over the past year, federal inspectors found faulty brakes, a faulty axle, a damaged windshield, loose or missing wheel fasteners, and numerous other safety violations on the bus, according to accident records cited by the Los Angeles Times.

Both the CHP and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.

Yucaipa Tour Bus Crash Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented bus crash 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.

One person was killed and two others seriously injured in a head-on collision on Sierra Highway near Santa Clarita. (Photo: SCV News)

Fatal highway accident: One man was killed and two others suffered critical injuries Saturday afternoon in a head-on collision on Sierra Highway near Santa Clarita.

•    An F-150 pickup truck crossed a double yellow line on a highway and crashed head-on into an oncoming F-350 pickup truck.

•    The driver of the first pickup truck died at the scene. His passenger suffered critical injuries.

•    The driver of the second pickup truck also was hospitalized with critical injuries. 

The deadly car accident occurred about 3 miles northeast of Santa Clarita city limits at 5:39 p.m., according to an SCV News report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Peter Bishop said a 52-year-old Agua Dulce man was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck southbound on Sierra Highway when he suddenly veered across the double yellow line into the northbound lane.

The southbound truck crashed head-on into an oncoming Ford F-350 pickup truck driven by a 58-year-old man, also from Agua Dulce.

The driver of the errant southbound F-150 truck died at the scene. His passenger, a 52-year-old Canyon Country man, suffered major injuries.

The driver of the northbound F-350 truck also suffered major injuries.

Bishop described both men’s injuries as life-threatening. One of the victims was airliftedvia helicopter to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills and the other was transported by ground ambulance to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, the CHP report stated.

The victims’ names had not been released as of Sunday morning.

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.

Santa Clarita 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.