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A drunk driver was killed and four people were injured in a highway accident in Santee. (Video capture: Channel 10 News)

Highway crash: A drunk driver died and four other people were seriously injured Sunday night in a wrong-way accident on State Route 52 in Santee.

•    A drunk driver drove onto a highway in the wrong direction and slammed head-on into a minivan.

•    The drunk driver died instantly. 

•    A mother and her three daughters, who were in the minivan, were hospitalized with major injuries. The mother and one daughter were in critical condition.

The drunk-driving accident occurred at about 9:10 p.m., according to a Channel 10 News report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr said 30-year-old Matthew Leonardo of Santee got onto State Route 52 driving the wrong direction. He was driving a 2012 Ford Focus westbound  in the eastbound lanes of State Route 52 when the accident happened.

The Ford Focus slammed head-on into an oncoming 2001 Dodge Caravan driven by the 45-year-old Alisa Cunningham of Spring Valley, whose husband Will Cunningham is the boys varsity basketball coach at Cathedral Catholic High School. Three of their daughters — Taylor, Jayden, and Logan – were in the minivan.

The vehicles were traveling  65 to 70 mph when they crashed. Doerr said Leonardo, who “had the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage about him,” was killed instantly.

Alisa Cunningham and all three of her daughters were rushed to Sharp Memorial Hospital and were scheduled to undergo surgery for multiple broken bones. The mother and 17-year-old Taylor, who was named Miss San Diego’s Outstanding Teen 2013, were listed in critical condition. Jayden and Logan were listed in stable condition.

Taylor was riding in the front passenger seat and suffered severe head injuries. She remained unconscious as doctors attempted to reduce the swelling on her brain, according to the Channel 10 video report.

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.

San Diego Highway Accident Lawyers

Both drivers were hospitalized in a head-on collision caused by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 880 in Oakland.

Wrong-way freeway crash: Two people were hospitalized Thursday night after a head-on collision on Interstate 880 in Oakland.

•   A southbound driver drove his car up an offramp onto the northbound side of the I-880 freeway.

•   He drove the car across the freeway, in the wrong direction, and crashed head-on into a northbound car in the fast lane.

•   Both drivers were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The accident occurred at about 8:15 p.m., according to a report in the Oakland Tribune.

California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Morgan said the accident occurred just north of Interstate 980.

Investigators believe a 2011 Nissan Sentra — driven by Gary Clegg — entered Interstate 880 North by traveling up the Seventh Street freeway offramp, Morgan told KTVU News.

The Nissan was heading southbound on the northbound side of the freeway. Clegg reportedly continued to drive the vehicle in the wrong direction, crossing the freeway to the No.1 (far left) lane.

The southbound Nissan crashed head-on into a northbound 1998 Honda Civic — driven by Leyva Cesar – in the No. 1 lane.

Both drivers suffered moderate injuries and were hospitalized. Morgan said the injuries were not life-threatening and both drivers were expected to survive.

The accident remains under investigation. Police did not say whether drugs or alcohol were suspected to be a factor.

Anyone with information about the accident is urged to call the CHP Oakland area office at 510-450-3821 or 1-800-TELL-CHP.

Wrong-Way Freeway Crashes Can Be Deadly

Hundreds of people die every year in wrong-way freeway crashes, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Thousands more are seriously injured.

Driving the wrong way on freeways has been a nagging traffic safety problem since the interstate highway system was founded in the late 1950s. Despite four decades of highway striping and sign improvements at freeway interchanges, the problem persists.

Most wrong-way drivers correct their mistakes before causing a crash by simply turning around and heading in the right direction. But some drivers, even when sober, head straight into oncoming traffic, often with deadly consequences.

California has a prevention program that funds safety improvements such as warning signs, striping, lights, and ramp designs that aim to stop deadly wrong-way freeway crashes.

If you see a wrong-way driver heading toward you:

• Pull over the shoulder and stop.
• Flash your high beams and sound your horn.
• Call 911 to report the situation.

Oakland 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 64-year-old man was killed Monday when a speeding driver crashed head-on into his Volkswagen Beetle on Highway 46 near Bakersfield. (Photo: KBAK News)

A Tehachapi man was killed in a head-on car accident Monday when a speeding driver crashed into his Volkswagen Beetle on Highway 46 in rural Kern County, about 50 miles from Bakersfield.

•     A Volvo was speeding through a construction zone and tried to pass two cars and a big-rig on a two-lane highway.

•     The driver did not see an oncoming Volkswagen Beetle convertible until it was too late. The two vehicles crashed head-on.

•     The Volkswagen driver died on impact. The Volvo driver was airlifted to a hospital with major injuries.

The fatal highway crash occurred at 11:10 a.m., according to a KERO News report.

California Highway Patrol officers said that 37-year-old Laura Hayden of Monterey was driving a silver 2007 Volvo S60 eastbound on State Route-46 at the time of the accident.

Hayden was speeding when she crossed into the westbound lane in an attempt to pass two passenger vehicles and a big-rig just west of Bitterwater Valley Road, CHP officer Jerry Knight told the Bakersfield Californian. The speed limit is 45 mph in that area because it is a construction zone, Knight said.

Hayden was still in the westbound lane when she approached an oncoming 2003 Volkswagen Beetle convertible driven by 64-year-old David Hubbard of Tehachapi. Both vehicles swerved to try to avoid a collision, but they both veered over to the north shoulder of the roadway, where they crashed head-on.

Hubbard died on impact, according to a KBAK Eyewitness News report. Hayden sustained major injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Kern Medical Center.

The two-lane rural highway is known locally as “Blood Alley” because there are so many accidents on it. The construction area is part of a renovation project to widen the highway to four lanes — two in each direction — Knight said.

Bakersfield 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.

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