A head-on crash involving two vehicles on Highway 111 near Indio left three people, including an infant, dead and four others injured, according to a news report in The Desert Sun newspaper. Officials are still trying to determine what caused the early morning crash, which occurred in a farming community in small-town Mecca.
From this article, it seems as if not many people might have witnesses it. Neighbors told the newspaper they came out after hearing a loud noise. Apparently one of the vehicles drifted over to oncoming traffic causing the fatal collision. Those killed in the crash were Rafael Hernandez, 47, of Long Beach; Aileen Gutierrez, a 3-month old girl from Somerton, Ariz. and a third victim yet to be identified, the article said.
The four passengers, who suffered severe injuries, were reportedly airlifted to local hospitals. The injured victims’ names were not released either. The crash reportedly caused significant delays on the highway.
This auto accident could have been caused by a variety of factors. Obviously, although there are not many details, someone crossed from their lane on to oncoming traffic. This could have been a result of a fatigued or distracted driver, vehicle malfunction and/or roadway conditions.
Further, were the fatalities and injuries caused solely because of the impact or because of failure to wear seatbelts, a defective car seat (in the infant’s case), restraint system failure or defects in the safety components of the cars? It’s questionable if the official investigation will scour all these details.
The victims’ families and the injured will be well-served to get consultations from experienced personal injury attorneys who know, understand and have constantly dealt with auto accidents, restraint system failures, auto defects and unsafe roadway conditions. The families should also definitely preserve the vehicles, which constitute the main body of evidence in any auto product defect case.
Head-on collisions are among the most common and dangerous types of auto accidents because of the high impact. According to the Department of Transportation’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS), close to 20 percent of all auto accidents are head-on collisions. Click here to look at a few tips on how to avoid head-on collisions. And drive safely out there!