Five vehicles were involved in an Orange County car accident, which officials say, was caused by tire tread from a large truck, that was dropped on the roadway. The Orange County Register reports that the multi-vehicle crash happened on the 57 northbound near Imperial Highway in Brea, California, the morning of November 17, 2009. California Highway Patrol officials said no serious injuries were reported in this crash. The car accident involved a Mercedes Benz driven by 18-year-old Francisco Linares, a Nissan Altima, an Acura, Ford Explorer SUV and a Ford F-250 pickup truck.

I'm relieved to see that this Brea car accident did not result in any life-threatening injuries despite the number of vehicles and people who were involved. Such accidents have the potential for serious injuries or even fatalities.

Orange County Car Accident Statistics

According to CHP's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 260 injuries occurred in Brea, California as a result of car accident cases in 2007. Countywide, car accidents claimed 178 lives and caused 14,185 injuries during the same year.

If the details in the news report are accurate, this car accident was caused by the tire tread that was dropped on the freeway by a big rig. Roadway debris in California has caused 155 fatalities just in the last two years, according to the California State Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

Law Prohibits Dumping Debris on Highways

California law prohibits anyone from throwing or dumping matter on the highway. California Vehicle Code section 23112 (a) states: "No person shall throw or deposit, nor shall the registered owner or the driver, if such owner is not then present in the vehicle, aid or abet in the throwing or depositing upon any highway any bottle, can, garbage, glass, nail, offal, paper, wire, any substance likely to injure or damage traffic using the highway, or any noisome, nauseous, or offensive matter of any kind."

Had this Orange County car accident resulted in serious injuries or fatality, the driver of the big rig and his employer, the trucking company, could have been held liable. Victims in roadway debris accidents would be well-advised to contact a reputed Orange County personal injury attorneys who has handled such cases and can advise victims and their families about how their car insurance policy will apply to such a case. If the responsible party is never identified or found, victims in roadway debris accident cases may be compensated through the uninsured motorist provision of his or her car insurance policy.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.