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An Iraq war veteran was killed when an off-duty deputy slammed  an SUV into a Starbucks in Fillmore. (Photo: Ventura County Star)

An Iraq war veteran was killed Tuesday night when an off-duty deputy’s SUV crashed into a Starbucks in Fillmore, about 20 miles north of Thousand Oaks.

•   An off-duty sheriff’s deputy apparently lost consciousness at the wheel and crashed his SUV into a Starbucks.

•   The SUV slammed through the wall and pushed a customer — an Iraq war veteran — across the building, pinning him between the vehicle and the wall.

•   Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to free the victim, who was rushed to the hospital. He died in surgery four hours later.

 •   Neither alcohol or drugs was a factor in the accident, police said.

The fatal accident occurred at about 7 p.m, according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

Police said 30-year-old Michael Cederland of Pasadena, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe westbound on Ventura Street — Highway 126 – at the time of the accident. He was off-duty.

Cederland was traveling at speeds that ranged between 40 and 70 mph when his SUV suddenly veered south, crossed two lanes of oncoming traffic, jumped two curbs and crashed through the Starbucks at 650 Ventura Street, Fillmore Assistant Fire Chief Pat Askren said.

Askren said the SUV drove over a strip of landscaping, crossed through a parking lot, and drove between two palm trees before it smashed through a wall of the coffee shop. Witnesses said he did not appear to have braked.

The SUV plowed through Starbucks and pushed 30-year-old Fillmore resident Sergio Mendez, who was sitting in a leather chair inside the coffee shop, to the opposite side of the cafe, Askren said. Mendez, a former U.S. Marine who served in the Iraq war, was pinned between the SUV and a wall.

Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to free Mendez, fire captain Billy Gabriel said. It took them 11 minutes to do so. A woman in the coffee shop helped to stabilize the veteran’s head while paramedics treated him, Gabriel said.

Mendez was conscious and talking at the scene, Gabriel said. Paramedics rushed him to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died in surgery about four hours later, according to KTLA News.

James Baroni, Ventura County chief deputy medical examiner, said an autopsy revealed that Mendez died of multiple blunt-force injuries. The death was ruled an accident.

Two other people — 25-year-old Jose Iraheta and 73-year-old Thomas Michaels — suffered minor injuries. They were treated and released.

Cedarland sustained a small cut. He was not arrested. Police do not believe he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

“He did not have any alcohol on his breath,” said Ventura County sheriff’s captain Michael Aranda.

Investigators are trying to determine what did cause the solo-vehicle accident. They are looking into the possibility that Cedarland may have fallen asleep or otherwise lost consciousness at the wheel. The off-duty deputy, who was visiblyt shocked and distraught at the scene, said he couldn’t remember anything from before leaving the road until after the crash.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said Cedarland has a desk job with the department and had worked a full shift before the accident.

Ventura County 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 family of four was hospitalized after a crash involving a drunk driver on I-8 in San Diego. (Photo: Channel 10 News)

A family of four people were hospitalized Sunday morning after a drunk driver crashed into their Lexus SUV on Interstate 8 in San Diego.

•   A drunk driver, traveling at 80 to 90 mph in a Land Rover, rear-ended a Lexus SUV on the eastbound I-8 freeway.

•   The Lexus spun out of control, went over the center guardrail, rolled over, and tumbled down a 130-foot embankment. It landed on the westbound side of the freeway.

•   Two adults and two children were trapped in the Lexus. All four of them were hospitalized. The children’s condition was stable. The adults’ condition was unknown.

•   The Land Rover driver was arrested on DUI charges.

The freeway crash occurred at around 10 a.m., according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The California Highway Patrol said witnesses saw a Land Rover speeding eastbound on I-8 at about  80 to 90 mph, Channel 10 News reported.

The driver hit a red car near Waring Road and then crashed into the Lexus SUV from behind, causing it to spin out of control.

The Lexus then veered across the center guard rail, rolled over, and  tumbled 120 to 150 feet down the embankment onto the shrubbery on the westbound side of the freeway.

When CHP officers arrived, they found two adults and two children trapped inside, the dispatcher told KFMB News.  Emergency workers freed the victims and then transported them to area hospitals via ground ambulance to be treated for their injuries.

The two children — a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old — were taken to Rady Children’s Hospital. Both were listed in stable condition. The two adults were taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital. Their condition was not known.

A San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman said the nature and extent of the injuries was not known, but the CHP indicated that the injuries were not life-threatening.

The driver of the Land Rover, whose name was not released, was arrested on drunk driving charges.

The accident is still under investigation.

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.

Thanksgiving Day tragedy: A brother and sister were killed in an SUV rollover crash on I-5 near Bakersfield. (Photo: KGET News)

An Oxnard family’s Thanksgiving turned tragic when two of them were killed in an SUV rollover crash on Interstate 5 near Bakersfield.

•   Seven people were traveling to Reno for their family’s Thanksgiving celebration. The person driving their SUV lost control of the vehicle on I-5 near Bakersfield.

•   The SUV rolled over and landed upside down on the freeway. 

•   Two of them were killed. The other five were hospitalized.

The deadly freeway accident occurred at around 5 a.m., according to a report in the Bakersfield Californian.

California Highway Patrol officer Doug Peters said seven family members were en route to Reno for Thanksgiving dinner when the accident happened. They were traveling together in a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by 36-year-old Miguel Alfaro.

The SUV was moving northbound in the fast lane at about 70 mph when it began to drift toward the center divider. Alfaro attempted to correct it by steering to the right, but lost control of the vehicle, Peters said. The SUV overturned and rolled into the southbound lanes, where it landed on its roof.

Two of the passengers who were riding in the right rear seat and the back cargo area – 17-year-old Daisy Alfaro and 24-year-old Jesus Alfaro — were thrown out of the vehicle. Peters said they probably had not been wearing seat belts. Both of them died at the scene.

The driver and four surviving passengers — 35-year-old Diana Alfaro, 13-year-old  Miguel Alfaro Jr., 3-year-old Maximus Alfaro, and 1-year-old Matthew Alfaro – suffered mostly minor to moderate injuries. All of them were taken to Kern County Medical Center in Bakersfield to be treated.

One of them suffered major injuries and was airlifted to the hospital via helicopter, CHP officer Vincent Pagano told KGET News, a local NBC affiliate. Pagano did say which person that was.

The CHP did not say what caused the SUV to drift in the first place.

The freeway was closed for more than two hours while emergency crews cleared the scene and CHP officials conducted their investigation.

SUV Rollover Crashes

One of the main reasons a lot of families buy SUVs is that they appear to be safer than smaller, lighter cars. But SUVs have a higher center of gravity and roll over much more easily than a lower-riding passenger sedan. Tire problems and turning quickly can cause an SUV to roll over.

Many of the new SUV models manufactured after 2009 are being built on a passenger car chassis rather than a truck chassis, which may make them less prone to rollover crashes.

Bakersfield Rollover Crash Lawyers

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

The driver of a Jeep SUV died when his vehicle rolled over on top of a car on State Route 15 in San Diego. (Photo: Fox5 News)

SUV Crash: A 27-year-old sailor died Thursday when his Jeep Cherokee rolled over and landed on a Cadillac in a four-vehicle accident on Route 15 in San Diego.

•   Three sailors from the North Island Naval Air Station were involved in a four-vehicle accident on State Route 15 in San Diego.

•   One of the sailors lost control of his Jeep Cherokee when he suddenly approached a group of cars stopped at the transition to Interstate 5.

•   The Jeep crashed into the cars and rolled over on top of one of them.

•   The Jeep driver died at the scene. One other sailor was taken to a hospital with possible head and neck injuries.

The freeway accident occurred at about 6:30 a.m., according to a CBS Channel 8 News report.

The U.S. Navy man, was stationed at North Island Naval Air Station, was driving a Jeep Cherokee at a speed in excess of 65 mph at the time of the crash, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

He apparently lost control of his vehicle as it approached several other vehicles that were stopped near Ocean View Boulevard to transition onto northbound Interstate 5.

California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Hale said the Cherokee suddenly veered right and sideswiped a Honda Civic that was stopped among the other vehicles.

The Honda rear-ended a Cadillac DeVille, pushing it forward into the back of a Toyota Corolla, Hale said. The impact forced the Cadillac into the Jeep’s lane. The Jeep rolled over and landed on top of the Cadillac.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department called in a heavy-rescue team, according to Channel 8. Emergency crews had to pry the two vehicles apart. The Jeep driver, whose name was not released, died at the scene.

The Cadillac driver and Honda driver also were sailors stationed at North Island Naval Air Station. Their names were not released. The Cadillac driver was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital to be treated for possible head injuries and neck injuries. The CHP did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries, but described them as minor.

The Honda driver said he was not injured. The Toyota driver said he was suffering some pain, but he declined medical treatment.

Hale said all four of the men were wearing seat belts.

San Diego Freeway Accident Lawyers

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