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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 78-year-old man was killed in a bicycle accident in Moorpark.

A 78-year-old bicyclist was killed Thursday in a hit-and-run accident on Tierra Rejada Road near Highway 23 in Moorpark. The driver initially fled the scene.

•    An elderly bicyclist was riding on the shoulder of the road when he was hit from behind by a 20-year-old driver.

•   The bicyclist died at the scene.

•    The driver fled the scene but turned around and came back.

•    The driver was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges.

The fatal bicycle accident occurred at around 1:20 p.m., according to a Moorpark Patch news report.

California Highway Patrol officers said 78-year-old Simi Valley resident Bernard Cooper was riding a bicycle eastbound on the shoulder of Tierra Rejada Road when he was struck from behind.

Cooper died at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle — 20-year-old Nicolas Santiago of Ridgecrest – fled the scene but stopped about a mile and a half down the road, turned around, and returned to the accident site.

CHP officers arrested Santiago on charges of felony hit and run, according to a Ventura County Star report. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the accident.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

More than 600 cyclists were killed and an additional 52,000 were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The vast majority (72 percent) of pedalcyclist fatalities occur in urban areas; 67 percent of those fatalities occur at non-intersections.

Share the Road

Drivers of motor vehicles need to share the road with bicyclists.

The NHTSA urges motorists to be courteous—allow at least three feet clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road, look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space, and yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals.

Be especially watchful for cyclists when making turns, either left or right.

Ride Safe

Bicyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, dawn, and dusk.

To be noticed when riding at night, use a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light, and use retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment or clothing.

Moorpark 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 pedestrian was killed and two others injured when a drunk driver slammed into them and knocked them down a steep hillside in San Francisco. (Video capture: KTVU)

Fatal pedestrian accident: Police arrested a drunk driver who slammed into three pedestrians and fled the scene Thursday night in the Twin Peaks district of San Francisco. One of the victims died.

•    Four tourists were walking along Christmas Tree Point Road when three of them were struck by a car and knocked 30 feet down a hillside.

•    All of the victims were hospitalized. One of them died.

•   The driver fled the scene but was found nearby. She and two of her passengers, all in their early 20s, were arrested on alcohol-related charges. A 17-year-old passenger was injured and hospitalized.

•    The drunk driver was charged with several felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter, and with endangering and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The hit-and-run accident occurred shortly before 9 p.m., according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ssn Francisco Police Sgt Michael Andraychak said 56-year-old Chinese citizen Yuee Yao and three companions were walking along Christmas Tree Point Road when a four-door sedan struck three of them and knocked them about 30 feet down a hillside, police Lt. Simon Silverman told  CBS Channel 5 News.

A fourth pedestrian was able to jump out of the way and was not hit, said Andraychak said.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene and were able to pull the injured pedestrians back up the hill. All three of the victims were taken to a hospital, where Yao was pronounced dead. The other two were expected to survive

The sedan fled the scene, but was found parked nearby in the Twin Peaks lookout point parking lot. The driver, 23-year-old San Francisco resident Gina Eunice was in the car, along with three passengers — two men aged 22 and 25, and a 17-year-old girl.

Eunice was arrested on several charges, including felony drunk driving, and the two male passengers were arrested for public drunkenness. The 17-year-old girl was injured in the accident and was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, according to the CBS report.

San Francisco District Attorney’s office spokesman Alex Bastian said Eunice was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, two counts of DUI causing injury, and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death, all felonies. She also faces two misdemeanor counts of endangering the health of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Bastian said.

San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented pedestrian 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 dworng-way drunk driver caused a fatal crash on I-710 in Long Beach. (Photo: KABC)

A 27-year-old woman was killed in a car accident Friday night when a drunk driver drove the wrong way and caused a multi-car collision on the 710 freeway in Long Beach.

•   A drunk driver drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction and crashed into two oncoming vehicles.

•   The driver of one of the struck vehicles died at the scene. Two other victims were hospitalized with major injuries.

•   The drunk driver tried to run away on foot, but witnesses chased him down and held him until police arrived.

•   The drunk driver was arrested for driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and hit and run causing death or injury.

The fatal DUI crash occurred north of Anaheim Street at about 10 p.m., according to an ABC News report.

Long Beach police said 33-year-old Derrick Armstrong of Buena Park drove a white 1997 Chevy Tahoe up the the Broadway Avenue off-ramp and onto the southbound lanes of the freeway — traveling northbound — according to the LA Daily News.

Continuing to drive the wrong way on the freeway, Armstrong’s vehicle struck two oncoming cars: a gray 1987 Honda Accord and a white 2010 Toyota Corolla.

A passenger in the Honda,  27 year-old Tricia Esmond Cade, died at the scene.

The driver of the Honda, a 26-year-old Long Beach woman, was pinned in the vehicle and had to be extricated  by the Long Beach Fire Department. She suffered major injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

The driver of the Toyota, a 26-year-old man from Long Beach, also was seriously injured and taken to a local hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

Witnesses said Armstrong got out of his car and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but they ran after him and detained him until police arrived. Armstrong was arrested for driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and hit and run causing death or injury. He was booked into the Long Beach City Jail where he was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Long Beach 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.

A hit-and-run driver killed a couple while fleeing from another crash in Temecula. (Photo: Riverside Press-Enterprise)

A hit-and-run driver killed two people when he ran a red light and crashed into their car while fleeing the scene of another crash Saturday in Temecula.

•    A driver in a Hyundai sedan caused an injury accident and fled the scene on city streets at about 60 mph.

•    While he was speeding away, he ran a red light and T-boned a Honda CRV. 

•     Both occupants of the CRV — an older married couple — died at the scene.

•    The hit-and-run driver was hospitalized with major injuries. Police did not yet know if alcohol or drugs were involved.

The fatal car accident occurred at about 3 p.m. on Rancho California Road at Jefferson Avenue, according to a report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Greg Negron said 45-year-old Christopher Bostic of Temecula had caused an earlier injury accident on Rancho California Road near Ynez Road and was fleeing the scene in a 2006 Hyundai.

No information was available on the victims of the first crash.

Bostic fled westbound on Rancho California Road at a speed of more than 6o mph and ran a red light at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue. His Hyundai clipped one vehicle and then slammed into a 2008 Honda CRV that was making a left turn onto eastbound Rancho California, according to a North County Times report.

Both occupants of the Honda — 74-year-old Amar Jain and his wife, 66-year-old Cheryl Jain, both of Yorba Linda — died at the scene.

Bostic suffered major injuries and was transported to an area hospital to be treated. Police had not yet determined whether alcohol and/or drugs contributed to the deadly series of crashes.

Negron said it was not clear why Bostic fled the initial crash. According to the Press-Enterprise report, county court records show Bostic had several citations, including speeding and red light violations, but no criminal convictions.

Temecula Wrongful Death 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.

Police arrested a teen driver for a hit-and-run accident that killed another teen in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County).

A 19-year-old driver was arrested Sunday night for a hit-and-run accident that killed an 18-year-old bicyclist Friday morning in the North San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe.

•   A 19-year-old driver drifted off the side of the road into the bike lane and struck an 18-year-old bicyclist. 

•   The bicyclist died. The driver fled the scene.

•   Neighbors alerted police to the car with damage matching the description of the accident, and police arrested the 19-year-old.

The fatal bicycle accident occurred at about 1 a.m., according to a report in the North County Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Parent told the Times that 18-year-old Angel Bojorquez of Escondido was riding his bicycle northbound on Via de la Valle toward Paseo Delicias when a vehicle drove up behind him, drifted onto the right shoulder (the bike lane) and struck him.

Bojorquez had been riding home from his job as a grocery clerk at an Albertson’s grocery store in Del Mar. The driver of the vehicle that fatally struck Bojorquez fled the scene and left him to die. A private Rancho Santa Fe security officer discovered Bojorquez’s body at about 2 a.m. by the side of the road.

Neighbors of 19-year-old San Diego resident Jin Jyuk Byun tipped off police that Byun’s car, a black 2008 Chevy Avalanche, had damage consistent with reports of the deadly hit-and-run crash.

Parent said an investigator spoke with Byun at his home on Sunday night, but he refused to cooperate. Officers obtained a  search warrant, arrested him on felony hit-and-run charges, and booked him into the county jail.

UPDATE:

At Byun’s arraignment on Wednesday, prosecutors said that Byun pulled off the road after he hit Bojorquez and tried to hide evidence, according to a Fox 5 News report. Prosecutors further alleged that Byun tried to cover up some of the damage to his Chevy Avalanche and then drove to his parents’ house on a flat tire and tried to hide the Avalanche in their garage.

Byun pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $1 million.

San Diego Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented hit-and-run 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 drunk driver caused a freeway accident that killed two people and then fled the scene on foot. (Photo: Fox 5 News)

Fatal hit-and-run crash: Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested a drunk driver who fled the scene after causing an accident that killed two people Sunday morning on Interstate 805 in San Diego.

•   A drunk driver crashed into a car on I-805 early and fled the scene on foot.

•   Two other vehicles — a pickup truck and a motorcycle — crashed into the wreckage.

•   Two people were killed and two others were hospitalized with serious injuries.

•   Police found and arrested the hit-and-run driver two days later.

The deadly DUI crash occurred shortly before 2:30 a.m., according to a CBS News report.

California Highway Patrol officer Art Athans said 28-year-old Pedro Antonio Sainz — who allegedly drank 17 beers before he got behind the wheel – lost control of his northbound 1994 Honda Civic on the 805 freeway.

Sainz’s car crashed into a 2005 Toyota Matrix driven by 66-year-old Ramiro Aguilar of Las Vegas. His 47-year-old wife, Bertha, and their 13-year-old son also were in the car. The Matrix flipped over and rolled several times before it came to rest in the middle of the freeway near Imperial avenue, Athans said.

Sainz then allegedly pulled over to the right shoulder, abandoned his vehicle, and ran away on foot, according to an NBC News report.

A 1997 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by 27-year-old Fernando Garcia Guzman crashed into the wrecked Matrix, ejecting Aguilar and his wife out onto the roadway. Moments later, a Yamaha YZF motorcycle driven by 32-year-old Robert Manual Landa approached the scene and crashed into the pileup.

Bertha Aguilar died at the scene. Her husband suffered severe injuries and was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he died about eight hours later. Their son survived without any known physical injuries.

Guzman, who had been driving the pickup truck, was hospitalized with moderate injuries. Landa, the motorcyclist, was hospitalized with major injuries. Both were expected to recover.

CHP investigators located and arrested Sainz at his San Diego home Tuesday morning. He was being held in San Diego Central Jail on $150,000 bail.

UPDATE

Sainz was arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty to four felony charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to a CBS News report.

Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler called Sainz an “absolute menace” and said he drank 17 beers at a bar before he got behind the wheel, caused a double-fatal accident, and ran away from the scene.

San Diego 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.

A hit-and-run driver has been arrested in connection with a pedestrian accident that killed a 72-year-old woman in San Ramon over the weekend.

Police arrested a hit-and-run driver Monday in connection with a pedestrian accident that killed a 72-year-old woman Sunday night in San Ramon.

•   An elderly woman was crossing a San Ramon street at 7 p.m., when it was still very light outdoors.

•   A driver struck the woman with an SUV and fled the scene.

•   The woman died a few hours later from injuries she sustained in the accident.

•   Police found and arrested the man, who also was wanted for a burglary.

The fatal hit-and-run accident occurred at around 7 p.m., according to a report in the San Ramon Express.

Police said the elderly woman, whose name was withheld, was trying to cross Bollinger Canyon Road at Canyon Lakes Drive when she was struck by a red Ford Explorer sports utility vehicle.

Witnesses said the vehicle then sped up and fled the scene. They were able to describe both the SUV and its driver to police.

The victim suffered severe injuries. Paramedics treated her at the scene and then airlifted her via helicopter to the Level II trauma unit at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. She died from the injuries she sustained in the accident at about 10 p.m., according to police.

Police tracked down the Explorer and  positively identified Stubblefield as the driver of the vehicle that struck the woman. Stubblefield was on probation and had an open arrest warrant for burglary, according to a KTVU News report.

He was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended license, hit-and-run resulting in death, vehicular manslaughter, and probation violation.

Police are still investigating the accident and urge anyone with any information to call the San Ramon Police Department at 925-973-2700.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

More than 4,000 pedestrians are killed every year — 11 every day — after being struck by motor vehicles, according to the latest National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics. An additional 59,000 are seriously injured.

The latest NHTSA figures show that:

• 69 percent of pedestrians killed in 2009 were males.
• Almost three out of every four pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (72 percent).
• The top four states for pedestrian fatalities are California, Florida, Texas, and New York. These four states make up 41 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide while only accounting for 5 percent of the total traffic fatalities across the country.
• Nearly one-half (48 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — 70 percent occur at night (4 p.m. to 4 a.m.).

Alcohol is a major factor in pedestrian deaths, according to the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In 2009, 37 percent of fatally injured pedestrians 16 and older had blood alcohol concentrations at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Fifteen percent of drivers involved in pedestrian deaths had blood alcohol levels at or above the legal limit.

San Ramon Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented pedestrian 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 wheelchair-bound woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in El Cajon. (Photo: Channel 10 News)

Police arrested a 36-year-old driver on Saturday for a hit-and-run accident that killed a wheelchair-bound woman Friday in El Cajon.

•   A woman was trying to cross the street in her wheelchair when she was struck by a PT Cruiser. 

•   She was thrown from her chair onto the road and died at the scene. The driver did not stop.

•   Police found debris from the vehicle that led them to the suspected driver’s home.  He was arrested and jailed on suspicion of felony hit and run.

The fatal pedestrian accident occurred shortly after 9 p.m., according to a Channel 10 News report.

California Highway Patrol officer Brian Pennings said a wheelchair-bound woman was trying to cross Olde Highway 80 near Flinn Springs when she was struck by a dark colored SUV-type vehicle.

The impact knocked the wheelchair down and threw the victim onto the roadway. The vehicle that struck the woman fled the scene.

Sheriff’s deputies, CHP officers, and firefighter emergency response crews who responded to the scene found the victim unconscious and unresponsive. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but she did not respond and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased victim as 49-year-old Laurie Susan Whitlow, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. She lived at a residential care home in unincorporated El Cajon.

Witnesses who called 911 immediately after the accident told police that the vehicle looked like a Chrysler PT Cruiser. Investigators found debris from a PT Cruiser that led them to the El Cajon residence of 36-year-old Anthony Olsen, Pennings said.

Olsen was arrested at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday and was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. Bail was set at $50,000. The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned on May 22.

El Cajon Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

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

Pedestrian fatality: A 61-year-old man was killed Wednesday night when he was struck by a car and dragged 150 feet down Arrow Highway in Fontana. The driver did not stop.

•   A 61-year-old man was trying to cross a dangerous street at night and was hit by a large SUV.

•   The SUV dragged the victim 150 feet down the road before stopping. The victim came loose from the SUV and was lying in the street when the vehicle drove away.

•   The victim died at the scene.

The deadly hit-and-run accident occurred at around 8:45 p.m., according to a report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

The California Highway Patrol said Dennis Kelly Timms of Fontana was walking along Arrow Route, west of Calabash Avenue, in an unincorporated area of Fontana.

Police told KTLA News that Timms was attempting to cross the street to go to a convenience store. There is no crosswalk at the intersection and Timms was wearing dark clothing, CHP Sgt. Ron Burch said.

“As you can see by looking down the street, there is a street light, but it is a fairly dark street,” Burch said.

Timms was struck by an eastbound vehicle traveling about 55 mph. The vehicle, which was described as a champagne-colored Lincoln Navigator, dragged Timms about 150 feet down the highway before it stopped temporarily. Timms came loose from the car and was lying in the street when the vehicle drove away.

Paramedics pronounced Timms dead at the scene.

The CHP is investigating the possibility that the Navigator was driven by an 82-year-old woman at the time of the accident, Burch said. No charges had been filed as of Thursday afternoon.

The CHP is urging anyone with information about the accident to call the Rancho Cucamonga Area CHP at 909-980-3994.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

More than 4,000 pedestrians are killed every year — 11 every day — after being struck by motor vehicles, according to the latest National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics. An additional 59,000 are seriously injured.

The latest NHTSA figures show that:

• 69 percent of pedestrians killed in 2009 were males.
• Almost three out of every four pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (72 percent).
• The top four states for pedestrian fatalities are California, Florida, Texas, and New York. These four states make up 41 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide while only accounting for 5 percent of the total traffic fatalities across the country.
• Nearly one-half (48 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — 70 percent occur at night (4 p.m. to 4 a.m.).

Fontana Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

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