One person was killed and two others, all from Los Angeles, were injured in a Fresno car accident after their van crashed on the Interstate 5, the morning of July 27, 2010. According to a news report in The Fresno Bee, the accident, which happened near Coalinga, injured the driver, Jimmy Sanpakit, 68, of Arleta, and another passenger, Kuangrudee Kla-harn, 71, of Van Nuys. Their van was northbound on the freeway, close to Highway 145, when a tread separated from one of the tires. The driver lost control of the vehicle. A 68-year-old male passenger from North Hollywood sustained fatal injuries in this crash. His identity has not yet been released. An investigation is ongoing. Read full story »

Tonia Marie Evans, 44, was killed in a July 21, 2010 car accident on Highway 101 after another vehicle collided head-on with hers. According to a report in The Willits News, Evans was driving a 1995 Toyota 4Runner south on the highway when a 2001 Subaru driven by 37-year-old Saskia Martin swerved into the southbound lanes into the path of the 4Runner. California Highway Patrol officials said the head-on collision caused the Toyota SUV to roll over. Martin and Tonia Evans' husband, 52-year-old Allen Evans, sustained minor injuries. However, Tonia Evans died at the scene.

Martin told officials that she was in the slow lane of Highway 101 behind a big rig, when she attempted to pass it. Just as she did so, she spotted an abandoned bicycle in her lane and braked. Martin said it was then that she lost control of the Subaru and entered opposing lanes of traffic. CHP officers took the bicycle off freeway lanes. An investigation is ongoing.

The Result of Roadway Debris?

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Tonia Marie Evans for their tragic, heartbreaking and untimely loss. This grieving family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Based on this news report, it appears that this tragic accident may have occurred as a result of someone dropping the bicycle in traffic lanes. The California State Department of Transportation estimates that 140,000 cubic yards of debris is dumped on California's roadways each year. In California, roadway debris has caused 155 traffic accident deaths and numerous catastrophic injuries between 2006 and 2008.

Laws and Liability Issues

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."

In such cases where deadly crashes are caused by roadway debris, the person or entities that were responsible for dropping the debris on the roadway can be held liable for the accidents and resulting injuries or deaths. Individuals who are injured in such car accidents would be well-advised to consult with an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled roadway debris cases. A skilled car accident lawyer should inform victims and their families how their car insurance policy will apply to such roadway accidents.

Have you ever had a close call on the roadway as a result of debris?

None of the parties mentioned in this article are represented by us at the time this article was posted. The source of our information is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm for a consultation. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. The BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm will provide free, confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons and their family members if you mention your source was the “Personal Injury Law Journal." They can be reached at 866-456-5235 during California business hours.

A bicyclist was injured in a San Diego car accident the morning of July 28, 2010, 10news reports. San Diego County Sheriff's officials said the injury collision occurred at the intersection of Imperial Beach Boulevard and Florence Street. The injured bicyclist was transported to an area hospital. The extent of the bicyclist's injuries is not known. An investigation is ongoing. Read full story »

A car accident in Mendocino County resulted in serious injuries for 20-year-old Misty Duran the afternoon of July 18, 2010. The Willits News reports that the injury crash occurred when 21-year-old Kayla Grace Chesser lost control of her 2003 Honda Civic while traveling northbound on Highway 101. The car rolled over as it left the roadway. Duran sustained major injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Chesser suffered minor injuries, but was booked on suspicion of felony DUI in connection with this injury crash. Read full story »

A bus accident involving a Greyhound bus and two other vehicles has left six people dead and 34 injured, CNN reports. This catastrophic crash occurred early morning on July 22, 2010 in the northbound lanes of Highway 99. The driver of the bus, which was going from Los Angeles to Sacramento, struck an overturned SUV and another vehicle and eventually crashed into a tree off the roadway. Six died at the scene. Four were critically injured, while 30 sustained minor to moderate injuries. An investigation is underway. Read full story »

A DUI collision in Napa resulted in major injuries for 77-year-old Charles Heatherly the morning of July 14, 2010. The Napa Valley Register reports that the crash happened at the intersection of Solano Avenue and Luke Drive when 47-year-old James Fannin, who was traveling south on Solano, crossed over the to northbound lanes and crashed into Heatherly's vehicle. Heatherly, who was seriously injured, was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Police arrested Fannin on suspicion of drunk driving and driving under the influence of prescription drugs. Read full story »

A hit-and-run collision in San Diego caused major injuries to a 65-year-old pedestrian the night of July 17, 2010. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the injury collision occurred near the intersection of Alvarado Road close to Alvarado Court. Police say that the female driver left the scene soon after the accident, but later returned. The pedestrian suffered head injuries and broken bones. Police determined that 57-year-old woman was under the influence of alcohol at the time and that she was the one who struck the pedestrian. Police arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run. Read full story »

A Victorville car accident resulted in injuries for two people the morning of July 15, 2010. The San Bernardino County Sun reports that the accident occurred on the Highway 395 in Victorville between a Hyundai Sonata and a Kia Sportage. The Hyundai went into opposing lanes of traffic crashing head-on into the Kia driven by a 31-year-old woman. Police are saying that the Hyundai's driver was fatigued at the time of the collision. He was uninjured. The other driver sustained injuries to her leg. Read full story »

A DUI collision in Santa Maria resulted in injuries for a police officer the night of July 13, 2010. The Santa Maria Times reports that 53-year-old Robert Thomas Kelly Jr. drove past a stop sign and struck Santa Maria Police Officer Jeff Lopez's patrol car at the intersection of Morrison Avenue and Pine Street. Lopez sustained head injuries, but he is expected to survive. Read full story »

A car accident in Los Angeles killed one and injured several others after a suspected drunk driver triggered a chain reaction crash in La Puente the night of July 13, 2010. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the deadly accident happened close to Stimson and Central avenues, when a driver traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control and initiated the collisions. The driver of the first vehicle struck was pronounced dead and three others in the car sustained moderate to serious injuries. An investigation is ongoing. But police suspect the involvement of alcohol or drugs in this crash. Read full story »