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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 big-rig ran a red light in Modesto and plowed into another vehicle, killing the driver.

Fatal big-rig crash: A Patterson man was killed Thursday evening when a big-rig ran a red light and crashed into his vehicle at the intersection of Hart Road and Highway 132 in Modesto.

•   A big-rig driver ran a red light and plowed into the driver’s side door of a pickup truck at 50 mph.

•   The impact slammed the pickup truck into a third vehicle.

•   The pickup truck driver died. The driver and passenger in the third vehicle were hospitalized with moderate injuries.

The rural highway crash occurred at 6:22 p.m., according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

California Highway Patrol officer Eric Parsons said 51-year-old Harjit Bassi of Turlock was driving a big-rig east on Highway 132 when he ran a red light at Hart Road at about 50 mph.

The big-rig crashed into the driver’s side door of a 2012 Dodge pickup truck driven by 51-year-old Neil Phillips Jr. of Patterson, according to a report in the Patterson Irrigator. The impact slammed the pickup into a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt that was stopped on the highway waiting to make a left turn onto Hart Road. The Cobalt was driven by 25-year-old Jose Rivera of Patterson.

Phillips suffered severe injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto, where he died.

Rivera and his passenger, 24-year-old Johana Machain of Patterson, suffered moderate injuries, according to the Bee. They were transported to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto to be treated.

Bassi was not injured.

Parsons said drugs and alcohol were not involved in the accident. Investigators will determine whether any charges will be filed against Bassi.

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.

Two drivers were hospitalized after a big-rig crashed on I-10 in Baldwin Park. (Photo: Carlos Aviles | Baldwin Park Patch)

Two drivers were hospitalized with head injuries Tuesday after one of them lost control and his big-rig jacknifed on Interstate 10 in Baldwin Park.

•   A truck driver lost control of his big-rig, crashed into the center divider, and jackknifed across the freeway.

•   An approaching tank truck was unable to avoid crashing into the jackknifed big-rig.

•   Both drivers suffered head injuries and were transported via ground ambulance to USC Medical Center to be treated.

The truck accident occurred at 7:19 p.m., according to a Baldwin Park Patch news report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Kerri Rivas told the Patch news site that 59-year old Elias Rivas of Carsol was driving a big-rig eastbound in the No. 3 lane of Interstate 10  when the accident happened. His rate of speed was unknown.

Rivas  veered to the left for unknown reasons and crashed into the center divider wall.  The tractor trailer went completely out of control and jackknifed across three freeway lanes, Officer Rivas said.

A 2011 Ford tank truck, driven by 29-year-old Miguel Martinez of Rialto, was traveling eastbound in the No.2 lane at about 45 mph and was unable to avoid crashing into the jackknifed big-rig. The impact damaged the big-rig’s fuel tank. About 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto the freeway.

Both drivers suffered moderate head and bodily injuries, Officer Rivas said. Both of them were conscious at the scene. They were transported to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center to be treated.

Authorities closed all lanes of the freeway for about three hours in order to clear the scene and clean the oil spill.

The accident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Baldwin Park CHP office during normal business hours at 626-338-1164. After hours, witnessed may contact the Los Angeles Communications Center at 323-982-4900.

Baldwin Park 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 bi-rig burst into flames after hitting an SUV on I-580; three people were hospitalized. (Photo: Contra Costa Times)

Truck accident: Three people were hospitalized Tuesday after a big-rig sideswiped an SUV and then burst into flames on Interstate 580 in Pleasanton.

•   A big-rig sideswiped an SUV on the freeway, spilled diesel fuel and hydraulic fluid on the road, and then burst into flames.

•   The truck driver and his son escaped before the big-rig burst into flames. Both of them were injured and hospitalized.

•   The SUV driver suffered unspecified injuries and also was hospitalized.

The fiery freeway crash occurred at 1:20 p.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway, according to a report in the Contra Costa Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Pete Van Eckhardt told the Times that a Toyota 4Runner was stopped alongside the freeway when an eastbound big-rig carrying a construction crane sideswiped it.

The impact sent the semi truck into a slide along the side of the concrete barrier wall. The damaged big-rig spilled diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, and other debris on the freeway, Van Eckhardt said. Then it burst into flames.

The truck driver and his 7-year-old son managed to escape from the truck before it caught fire, but both of them were injured. According to the Times report, the driver sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley to be treated. The 7-year-old boy was taken to Childrens Hospital in Oakland to be treated for cuts and other minor injuries.

The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries, according to Van Eckhardt. He also was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

It took a hazardous materials team more than five hours to clean up the spill and the burnt remains of the big-rig from the crash scene, according to the Times report.

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.

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

Six people were injured in a big-rig crash in San Clemente. (Photo: San Clemente Times)

Truck accident: Six people were hospitalized Monday after a big-rig ran a red light at the end of a freeway exit and caused a four-vehicle pile-up in San Clemente. Two of the victims were in critical condition.

•    A truck exited I-5 and blew through a red light, toppling the traffic signal and causing a four-vehiclepile-up.

•    Two SUVs, a BMW sedan, and another big-rig were crashed in the chain-reaction crash.

 •   Six people were hospitalized. Two of them were in critical condition. The errant truck driver was not injured.

The crash occurred at about 10:40 a.m., according to a report in the San Clemente Times.

Yolanda Topete, a community service officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, said a big-rig exited southbound Interstate 5 at Avenida Pico and ran through the stoplight on the offramp. The truck plowed right through the intersection and then continued up onto the southbound freeway onramp.

After it ran the light, the truck crashed into a GMC sports utility vehicle and knocked down the traffic signal, according to the San Clemente Patch news site. Then it slammed a Volvo SUV, demolishing the passenger side of the vehicle. The violent impact spun the Volvo around and it crashed into a BMW.  Finally, the BMW crashed into a Coca-Cola truck.

Two fire engines, a fire truck, and four ambulance responded to the scene.

Orange County fire battalion chief Ron Roberts told the Times that the Volvo’s air bags deployed and the two occupants were trapped inside. Firefighters had to cut the car to free the two victims. Roberts said it was a ”complex extrication.” Both of the victims suffered critical injuries and were taken by ambulance to the Level II trauma center at Mission Hospital to be treated.

There was a family of four inside the BMW. All of them were injured, though not critically. They were also were taken by ambulance to Mission Hospital, Roberts said.

No other injuries were reported.

California Highway Patrol Captain Sandra Houston said both of the southbound I-5 freeway ramps (on and off) were closed at Avenida Pico. Sheriff’s deputies restricted street traffic west of the freeway. Houston said the ramps were expected to remain closed until at least 2:30 p.m. while officers investigated the crash, a CHP helicopter took aerial photos of the scene, and Caltrans workers assessed damage to traffic signals that were demolished in the wreck.

San Clemente 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.