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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

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 three others seriously injured when a drowsy driver hit another vehicle on Highway 46 near Paso Robles.

Fatal highway crash: One person was killed and three others hospitalized Sunday night when a drowsy driver turned into oncoming traffic and crashed into another vehicle on Highway 46 in Shandon, about 15 miles east of Paso Robles.

•   A drowsy driver in an SUV made an unsafe turn, crossing a center line on a two-lane highway. He crashed head-on into an oncoming car.

•   The driver in the car was killed on impact. His passenger was hospitalized with serious injuries.

•   The SUV driver and his passenger also were hospitalized with serious injuries. 

The deadly car accident occurred 10 minutes before midnight, according to a report in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The California Highway Patrol said 32-year-old Marysville resident Eric Wellington was driving a 2002 Ford Expedition sports utility vehicle eastbound on Highway 46 at the time of the crash.

Wellington turned into oncoming traffic at McMillan Avenue and crashed head-on into a westbound 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 50-year-old Cirigo Arias of Kettleman City.

The violent impact to the left front side of the Grand Prix killed Arias instantly. The front wheel of the car was knocked off and the car spun out, finally stopping on the shoulder on the westbound side of the highway.

Meanwhile, the collision caused Wellington’s SUV to roll over, blocking both lanes of the highway.

Arias was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 31-year-old Everado Martinez, suffered serious injuries. She was hospitalized at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, according to a KEYT News report.

Wellington and his passenger, 27-year-old Rosalie Wellington, also suffered serious injuries. They also were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center to be treated.

The CHP said driver fatigue (Wellington) was a major factor in the accident. Alcohol and drugs did not appear to be involved.

Paso Robles Car 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 man died in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 60 in Beaumont.

One man died and two other people were seriously injured as a result of a three-vehicle accident Saturday on Highway 60 in Beaumont.

•  A truck driver was hit by a car at a rural highway intersection.

•   The truck driver was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. He died the following night.

•   The other driver was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries. 

•   The accident remains under investigation.

The highway crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m., according to a report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

A 51-year-old man from Perris — later identified by Riverside County coroner’s officials as Asencion Placencia — was driving a truck eastbound on the rural highway when the accident happened.

As Placencia’s truck neared Dowling Fruit Orchard at Western Knolls Road, it was struck by a white Hyundai, according to a California Highway Patrol report quoted on the Banning-Beaumont Patch news site. A third vehicle was involved, but news reports did not elaborate on that.

Placencia was trapped in his truck and had to be extricated by emergency crews, Cheri Patterson of Cal Fire-Riverside County said. He suffered critical injuries. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died 9:37 p.m. on Sunday.

The Hyundai driver also was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. Patterson told the Southwest Riverside News Network (SWRNN)that the person was treated and released.

The scene of the accident was on Route 60 just west of the interchange at Interstate 10. It is one of the few remaining intersections on that highway between Los Angeles and the San Gorgonio Pass, according to SWRNN.

Dangers of Rural Highways

Only 23 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, but 57 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities occur on rural roads, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration(NHTSA).

The NHTSA’s latest figures show that the fatality rate per vehicle miles traveled was 2.5 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

A large majority of car accident deaths in rural areas — 67 percent — occur on highways, where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher. In urban areas, the opposite is true: 68 percent of all fatal crashes occur on roads where the speed limit is less than 50 mph.

Rural highways often are only two lanes, which presents significant danger to motorists who use the oncoming traffic lane to pass at high speed.

Finally, hospitals are few and far between in rural areas. The risk of dying on the way to the hospital is significantly higher in a rural accident than an urban one.

Beaumont Car 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 for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.