A young mother, her boyfriend and her 2-year-old daughter were killed in a Fontana car crash when a driver rammed into their stopped car near a street intersection. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the collision occurred the night of October 21, 2013 near the intersection of Citrus Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. The deceased were identified as Helen Amaya, her boyfriend Shawn Scott and Amaya’s 2-year-old daughter.
Police said the car was stopped when it was struck from behind and pushed into the intersection striking a third vehicle. The other driver involved in the wreck did not suffer life-threatening injuries. Officials obtained security video from a nearby gas station, which shows that the sudden impact struck the three. The driver who slammed into the family’s vehicle has only been identified as a 24-year-old man. No arrests have been made pending an official investigation.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family members of these three victims. I offer my heartfelt condolences to this family that is grieving this terrible loss.
Crash Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2010 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were nine fatalities and 532 injuries involving car crashes in Fontana. In San Bernardino County as a whole, 203 people died and 7,915 were injured as a result of traffic accidents during the same year.
Causes and Compensation Issues
Based on this news report, officials say witnesses heard driver’s brakes lock up when he crashed into the family’s vehicle. There are still several unanswered questions here. Was the driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Was he distracted or inattentive at the time? Was he traveling at an excessive rate of speed? Was there some type of vehicle defect or mechanical malfunction in the striking vehicle? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.
In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased car accident victims can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost future income, pain and suffering and loss of love and companionship. Victims’ families would also be well advised to contact an experienced San Bernardino personal injury lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.