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Three people were injured in a freeway accident on I-5 in Woodland.

Truck accident: Three people were injured Wednesday evening in an accident involving a car and two big-rigs on Interstate 5 in Woodland.

•       Two big-rigs were following a car on the I-5 freeway when traffic ahead of them started to slow down.

•       The car and the first big-rig slowed, but the second big-rig failed to slow down and crashed into the first big-rig.

•       Both truck drivers and one of their passengers were taken to the hospital to be treated.

The freeway crash occurred just before 5:30 p.m., according to a report in the Woodland Daily Democrat.

California Highway Patrol Officer Bryan Konvalin said 42-year-old Sergio Robles Angel of Sacramento was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima southbound on Interstate 5, on the Yolo Bypass, when the accident happened.

A 2012 Freightliner semi truck,  driven by 65-year-old Harry Vaughn Boatright of Marysville, was following the Nissan.

Another big-rig — a 2012 Volvo big-rig driven by 29-year-old Mandeep Singh of Turlock — was following the Freightliner truck.

Angel saw traffic ahead of him slowing down and reduced the speed of his Nissan sedan, Konvalin said. Boatright noticed and began to slow his Freightliner big-rig, but Singh didn’t see the slower traffic ahead.

Singh’s big-rig rear-ended the Freightliner truck, forcing the Freightliner to crash into the Nissan. The front of the Volvo was underneat the rear of the Freightliner.

Both of the big-rigs were fully loaded, and the impact was forceful enough to cause major damage to all three vehicles, Konvalin said.

Boatright and his passenger, 66-year-old Patsy Boatright, both were injured. Singh also was hurt. All three of them were taken to UC Davis Medical Center to be treated.

Woodland Truck 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 passenger was injured when a pickup and tow truck crashed in San Francisco.

Truck accident: Both drivers and a passenger were injured Tuesday after the pickup and a tow truck collided at the intersection of Ninth and Bryant streets in San Francisco.

 •    A pickup truck and a tow truck collided in the middle of a busy intersection in San Francisco.

 •    The impact caused both vehicles to crash into buildings.

 •    A passenger in the truck had to be extricated from the vehicle and suffered major injuries.

 •    Both drivers also were injured

The accident occurred at about 6 a.m. in the city’s South of Market district, according to an ABC News report.

Police Officer Gordon Shyy said investigators are still attempting to determine who was at fault in the crash. The tow truck, which was traveling northbound on Ninth Street, collided with the pickup truck, which was traveling westbound  on Brannan Street.

The collision occurred in the intersection, which is controlled by a traffic light.

The force of the impact caused both vehicles to crash into separate buildings, Shyy said. A woman who was a passenger in the pickup truck was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by firefighters. She suffered major injuries and was rushed to nearby San Francisco General Hospital.

The tow truck driver managed to crawl out the passenger-side door of his wrecked vehicle. There were conflicting reports as the the nature and severity of the two drivers injuries. The ABC report said that both drivers were treated at the scene, but a fire captain told CBS News that all three victims were hospitalized.

The same fire captain said that one of the drivers had been partially ejected from his vehicle, but it was not clear which driver.

Injured Passengers Are Covered Regardless of Who is at Fault

When passengers are injured in a car accident, they generally are covered under the insurance of both vehicles involved in the crash. It typically doesn’t matter who was at fault, because the passenger was not driving.

Injured passengers may file a claim under both the liability insurance coverage of the driver and/or owner of the car they were riding in, and the driver and/or owner of any other vehicle involved. That doesn’t mean passengers can get more than their claim is worth. It just means that if one driver or owner does not have enough insurance to cover the total amount of the claim, the injured passenger often can get the rest from another driver’s coverage.

Liability insurance compensates other drivers or passengers for property damage or personal injuries in an accident. In California, drivers must carry coverage of at least:

1. $15,000 for injury or death to one person (another driver, passenger, pedestrian, etc.).
2. $30,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and
3. $5,000 for damage to property.

San Francisco 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  law enforcement officer was killed and a Caltrans worker severely injured when a big-rig slammed into stopped traffic in a construction zone near Modesto. (Photo: Modesto Bee)

An off-duty law enforcement officer was killed and a Caltrans worker suffered major injuries Thursday when a big-rig slammed into cars stopped in a construction zone on Highway 132 near Modesto.

•   A Caltrans worker flagged traffic to stop in a marked construction zone on a rural highway.

•   A semi truck approached the stopped traffic but did not stop. The big-rig slammed into a Honda sedan, which then crashed into a Nissan.

•   The Nissan hit the Caltrans worker, who was airlifted to a hospital with major injuries.

•  The Honda driver, an off-duty police officer, died at the scene.

The deadly truck accident occurred at about 12:15 p.m. near Faust Road, according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

Road work had closed the westbound lane of the two-lane highway, so traffic headed in both directions had to take turns using one the eastbound lane.

Caltrans worker Brian Smith, a 30-year veteran of the department, was stopping eastbound traffic when a black Nissan and a silver Honda pulled up and stopped as directed.

A big-rig drove up behind the stopped traffic and slammed into the stopped traffic.

“He collided first with the back of the silver Honda, which pushed it forward into the black Nissan,” California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Parsons told CBS Channel 13 News.

The impact killed the driver of the Honda, who was identified as an off-duty law enforcement officer from Stanislaus County. His name was not released, pending notification of next of kin. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nissan struck the Caltrans worker, Brian Smith, who was severely injured. He was airlifted via helicopter to a hospital to be treated. No details about his injuries were released.

The Nissan driver reportedly was not injured.

Caltrans and the CHP said the construction area was clearly marked with signs.

Modesto Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck 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 woman died in a head-on big-rig crash near Stockton. (Photo: Fox40 News)

Fatal big-rig crash: A school official died Tuesday when an out-of-control semi truck veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into her car in Escalon, about 13 miles from Stockton.

 •   The rear tank of a empty double-tanker truck started to drift on a rural highway and the driver lost control.

•   The big-rig sideswiped an oncoming cattle truck and then slammed a Honda sedan head-on.

•   The driver of the Honda died on impact. No other injuries were reported.

•   Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, the CHP said.

The deadly accident occurred early Tuesday morning, according to an article in the Stockton Record.

The California Highway Patrol reported that a double-tanker truck — which usually carries water but was empty at the time — was traveling eastbound on Mariposa Road at about 55 mph at the time of the accident.

The CHP told KCRA News that the rear tanker started to drift and the driver lost control.

The big-rig sideswiped a westbound cattle truck, according to Fox40 News, and then veered directly into the oncoming traffic lane, where it crashed head-on into a westbound Honda sedan driven by 58-year-old Joan Lorraine Justice-Brown of Escalon.

The car was wedged underneath the big-rig. Justice-Brown, who was an educational specialist with the San Joaquin County Office of Education, died on impact.

The cattle truck driver and the big-rig driver were not injured, the CHP said.

Police do not yet know what caused the rear tanker to drift, but they said alcohol was not a factor. It was not raining, but the road may have been somewhat slick, the CHP said.

The accident is still under investigation.

Stockton Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented the families of people killed in truck accidents 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 runaway truck accident on Highway 330 near San Bernardino. (Photos: ABC News)

Two people were killed in a truck accident Monday when a driver flew out of a runaway big-rig that later ran over a car on Highway 330 in the San Bernardino Mountains.

•    A runaway big-rig veered off a highway and up an almost-vertical mountainside. The driver flew out of the truck and died. 

•   The driverless truck kept rolling down the mountain highway and ran over an Acura sedan, crushing it underneath.

•   The driver of the Acura was killed. His wife was extricated from the vehicle and survived with minor injuries.

•   Investigators will inspect the truck to see if the brakes failed before it went out of control.

The deadly highway accident occurred at about 2:50 p.m. in Running Springs, according to a report in the San Bernardino Sun.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Baker said 33-year-old Juan Navarro of Pomona was driving a flatbed semi truck – loaded with a forklift and a Bobcat earth mover — southbound on Highway 330.

For unknown reasons, Navarro lost control of the big-rig about five miles north of Highland Avenue. When the truck ran off the road and up a near-vertical rock mountainside, Navarro either jumped out or was ejected from the cab.

“We have no witnesses who saw the collision, so it’s undetermined whether he was ejected … or otherwise,” California Highway Patrol Officer Gary Fernandez told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Navarro died at the scene.

The driverless, runaway truck kept rolling another 400 feet down the mountain highway, jackknifed, and literally ran over an oncoming (northbound) 2005 Acura sedan driven by 59-year-old Richard McCown of Big Bear Lake. The Acura was completely under the truck and was crushed (see photo).

McCown, who was a Los Angeles County fire captain, was killed instantly. Firefighters extricated McCown’s wife Barbara, 58, from the crushed vehicle. She survived with what appeared to be minor injuries — scrapes, chest pain, and leg pain — and was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center (in Loma Linda) to be treated.  Baker said her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Cell-crete Specialty Concrete Contractors safety director Art Rodriguez said Navarro was part of a five-man crew that was returning from a Big Bear-area job site to the company’s headquarters in Monrovia. The other four workers were in a pickup truck that was following well behind the flatbed truck, Rodriguez said.

Officials closed the highway until almost 10 p.m. to clear the scene and conduct a preliminary investigation. A mechanical inspection will be conducted on the big-rig to determine whether its brakes failed, according to the Press-Enterprise report.

San Bernardino Truck Accident Lawyers

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

One person was killed after a big-rig jackknifed on I-805 in San Diego. (Photos: CBS8 News)

Fatal big-rig crash: One person was killed and three others were injured after a big-rig jackknifed early Tuesday on rain-slicked Interstate 805 in San Diego‘s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

•    A big-rig jackknifed across all lanes of the rain-slicked freeway.

•    Several vehicles crashed into the truck, including a Toyota sedan that was lodged underneath.

•    The Toyota driver was killed instantly.

•    Firefighter had to extricate other victims from the vehicles.

•    At least three victims were hospitalized.

The accident occurred at about 5 a.m., according to a CBS8 News report.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Steven Toth said the accident started when a driver lost control of his semi-truck and it suddenly jackknifed across all lanes of northbound Interstate 805 near 47th Street in Lincoln Park.

Several vehicles crashed into the truck. One of those vehicles was a  Toyota Yaris driven by a 36-year-old San Diego man. It was wedged under the truck.

The driver of the Toyota died instantly, Toth said. The Medical Examiner’s office withheld the deceased victim’s name pending notification of his family.

Among the other vehicles that crashed into the jackknifed big-rig was a white pickup truck that also was lodged underneath (see photo). Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate victims from their vehicles. It took almost two hours to do so, according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

A passenger in the Yaris survived but was seriously injured. Toth said he did not have any information about the severity of that victim’s injuries or his condition.

At least two other people were injured as well. Two of the victims were transported to UC San Diego Medical Center, while another was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

It was not clear which victims were taken to each hospital and no information was yet available about the severity or nature of their injuries. All of their names were withheld.

The accident remains under investigation.

San Diego Truck Accident Lawyers

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

One person was killed in a crash with three big-rigs on Highway 60 in Diamond Bar. (Top photo: Glendora Patch | Bottom photo: ABC News)

Fatal big-rig crash: One person was killed and three others seriously injured Friday in a pileup involving three big-rigs and another truck on Highway 60 in Diamond Bar.

•   A box truck and a big-rig pulled over to the side of the freeway after a minor collision to exchange information.

•   Both drivers and two passengers were standing between he trucks when a third truck hauling bananas slammed into the parked big-rig from behind. 

•   Three of the four people standing between the trucks were crushed. One of them died at the scene and the other two were airlifted to hospitals in critical condition.

•   The banana truck overturned but the driver sustained only minor injuries.

The deadly freeway accident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway, west of Phillips Ranch Road, according to an Inland Valley Daily Bulletin report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Kerri Rivas said it started when a Ford F7000 box truck and a tractor trailer got into a minor collision and pulled over to the shoulder to exchange insurance information.

The driver of the box truck and his two passengers were standing between the two trucks with the big-rig driver. A third eastbound big-rig, which was hauling a load of bananas, rear-ended the parked tractor trailer.

The impact caused the parked tractor trailer to lurch forward about 15 feet, Rivas said. Three of the four people standing between the two trucks were crushed. The banana truck then careened to the left and overturned on the freeway, spilling fuel and boxes of fruit onto the roadway.

The box truck driver died at the scene, Rivas said. One of his passengers was able to jump out of the way, but the other one – 40-year-old Arnold Hutchinson of Mira Loma — suffered major injuries. Hutchinson was transported via ground ambulance to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and then airlifted via helicopter to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. He was listed in critical condition, Rivas said.

The driver of the parked big rig, 53-year-old Constantino Olmos of Riverside, also suffered catastrophic injuries. He was airlifted directly to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, where he was in the intensive care unit. He also was listed in critical condition, Rivas said.

The driver of the banana truck, 23-year-old Emilio Alvarez of South Gate, sustained minor injuries. He was taken to San Dimas Community Hospital to be treated for complaints of pain, Rivas said.

The freeway was completely closed until two lanes were reopened shortly before 6 p.m., according to a Claremont/Laverne Patch news update.

“Anytime there is fatality, we have to do a long-term closure in order to conduct an extensive investigation,” CHP spokesman Vince Ramirez told the Los Angeles Times.

Diamond Bar Truck Accident Lawyers

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

An Amtrak train crashed and derailed when it was slammed by a big-rig in Hanford. More than 40 people were hurt. (Photo: San Jose Mercury News)

Hanford train crash: Some 39 passengers were injured Monday when a big-rig plowed through a railroad crossing in Hanford and slammed into an Amtrak train. The train derailed.

•   An Amtrak train with 169 passengers aboard was passing through a crossing.

•   The crossing arms were down, the lights were flashing, and bells were sounding.

•   A big-rig plowed through the gate and slammed into the train, causing it to derail. 39 passengers were injured. 

•   The truck driver suffered a head injury and was hospitalized. Investigators didn’t yet know why he crashed through the gate.

The big-rig crash occurred at about 12:15 p.m., according tn article in the Hanford Sentinel.

The truck, a 2000 Freightliner, was driven by 42-year-old Macario Medina of McFarland, the Fresno Bee reported.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jerry Pierce said the crossing arms were down and the train was partially through the intersection at Kansas and 10th avenues when the big-rig plowed through the gate.

Lights were flashing and bells were ringing as the big-rig slammed into the four-car train between the locomotive and the last car.

The train traveled about 600 feet, where it hit a switchback and derailed, the CHP said. The locomotive and two double-deck cars toppled over (see photo) and passengers had to grab seat backs and tables to try to keep from falling.

“It was scary. Everybody was tossed around,” passenger Andrea King of Sacramento told the Hanford Sentinel. “We didn’t know if anybody was going to make it out.”

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham told KTVU News said 39 people were injured in the crash. The injuries range from minor to moderate. Graham said at least one person suffered a broken leg.

Investigators were still trying to determine why Medina, the truck driver, did not stop at the crossing. He was pinned inside his shattered cab for about an hour and suffered a head injury, according to the Fresno Bee report. Paramedics transported him via ground ambulance to a hospital. Pierce said CHP officers had not interviewed him as of Tuesday morning.

The train originated in Oakland and was headed for Bakersfield, Graham said. Passengers who were not hospitalized were taken to the Hanford Civic Auditorium and were eventually taken by charter bus to destinations in Corcoran, Wasco, and Bakersfield.

Hanford Train Crash Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident and train crash victims 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 injured when a big-rig slammed into stopped cars on Highway 41 in Lemoore.

Fatal big-rig crash: A man was killed and three other people were injured Saturday when a semi truck plowed into a group of three cars stopped at a light on Highway 41 in Lemoore.

•   A truck failed to slow down at an intersection on a rural highway and plowed into a pickup truck stopped at a stoplight.

•   The truck burst into flames, trapping the driver inside. He died at the scene.

•   The fire spread to two other vehicles, which were forced by the impact into the intersection. One hit a streetlight and the other crashed into a power pole.

•   The drivers of those two cars suffered burn injuries.

The rural highway accident occurred at 7:54 a.m., according to a report in the Hanford Sentinel.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jerry Pierce said a southbound big-rig driven by 21-year-old Harpal Singh Sandhu of Clovis failed to slow down at Hanford-Armona road and slammed into a 1996 Chevy S-10 pickup truck.

The pickup truck immediately burst into flames and the driver, a 46-year-old man from Huron, was trapped inside the vehicle. He died at the scene.

The fire spread to the two vehicles in front of the pickup truck, both of which were launched into the intersection. One of the vehicles struck a streetlight and the other crashed into a power pole.

One of the motorists, 59-year-old Jack Leal of Lemoore, suffered burn injuries to his hair and face as well as lacerations to his nose and lip. Another motorist, 43-year-old Melissa Dodd of Riverdale, complained of pain to her neck and back.

The big-rig driver sustained burns on his left leg.

Officials closed the highway for several hours to clear the scene and conduct a preliminary investigation. This was the second time in two consecutive days that a big-rig failed to stop at an intersection and caused a fatal accident in the Hanford/Lemoore area.  (Read more: Hanford: Big-Rig Runs Stop Sign, Slams Car in Fatal Crash)

Lemoore Truck Accident Lawyers

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