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 DUI collision in Reseda claimed the life of 51-year-old Chandrika De Silva and seriously injured her 5-year-old grandson, Sahan. The Los Angeles Daily News reports that the fatal crash occurred the morning of July 18, 2010 when 22-year-old Richard Albert Buitron struck Chandrika and the family's Toyota Prius parked partially in their home's driveway. Chandrika died at the scene while Sahan was taken to a hospital for treatment of a concussion and other injuries. Sahan was ejected from the vehicle although he was strapped in a booster seat. Read full story »

A woman who was killed in a DUI collision in Tulare County the night of July 1, 2010, has been identified as 36-year-old Rocio Martinez Lopez. The Fresno Bee reports that the fatal car crash occurred on Highway 190 at Road 152 in Porterville, when a suspected drunk driver ran a stop sign and struck her Honda Civic. The driver of the other vehicle, a 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck, was driving south on Road 152. He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. Jose Corrales-Delgado, a 29-year-old passenger in the truck, sustained major injuries in this crash and was hospitalized. Read full story »

A motorcycle accident in Modesto proved fatal for 24-year-old Aaron Murdaugh the night of June 22, 2010. The Modesto Bee reports that Murdaugh was heading east on Briggsmore Avenue when he was struck by a Toyota sedan that was making a left turn from a shopping center. The driver of the Toyota is described as a 66-year-old man. He and his passenger were not injured. But Murdaugh sustained fatal injuries. An investigation is ongoing. Read full story »

A pedestrian who was fatally injured in a San Diego car accident the night of June 7, 2010 has been identified by authorities as 55-year-old Martha Leon. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the deadly crash occurred at the intersection of Vandegrift Boulevard and Parker Street in Oceanside. Leon was taken to a local medical center where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle that hit Leon told officials that she had the green light at the intersection at the time of the collision. Officials are still investigating the incident. Read full story »

Authorities have identified a 57-year-old man killed the morning of May 29, 2010, in a San Bernardino car accident, as Christian Hansen Gunn. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that the fatal car collision occurred when Gunn was traveling in a 2002 Nissan Sentra north on State Route 18. Read full story »

Three people killed in a car accident in Los Angeles the morning of March 23, 2010 have been identified as Neil Hillan, 47, Santiago Vasquez, 24, and Norma Najera-Villeda, 41. The triple fatal collision occurred when all three victims had stepped out of their cars to exchange information after a separate initial collision on the 101 Freeway in Sherman Oaks. It was then that a 2000 BMW driven by Haik Madoyan, 25, struck all three of the pedestrians. Two others were injured in the crash. An investigation is ongoing. Read full story »

A 45-year-old man who sustained fatal injuries in a car accident near Modesto the morning of May 13, 2010 has been identified by authorities as Kevin Vigil. The Union Democrat reports that the fatal accident occurred on Highway 108 near Knight's Ferry, when 30-year-old Jason Wood fell asleep at the wheel, drove his 2001 Chevy S-10 pickup truck into opposing lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a 1988 Honda Accord in which Vigil was a passenger. Joseph Lopez, 27, who was the Honda's driver and a co-worker of Vigil, escaped with moderate injuries. An investigation is ongoing. Read full story »

A 73-year-old woman who sustained fatal injuries in a Riverside car accident the morning of March 27, 2010 has been identified as Carmen Patino. According to a news report in The Desert Sun, the fatal car crash occurred at the intersection of Tourmaline Avenue and Jackson Street. Patino's vehicle was struck by an SUV as she attempted to make a left turn onto Jackson Street. She was transported to an area hospital where she died shortly after the crash. Read full story »