A 63-year-old Orange County man died after he was struck and killed by a car on the 105 Freeway where he had pulled over to change a tire. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Yong Sam Kim of Brea died on the scene after the driver of a pick-up truck veered into the shoulder and rear-ended Kim’s 1996 Nissan Altima near Paramount Boulevard. Kim, who was changing the tire at the time died on impact, officials say.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether Kim was struck directly by the 20-year-old college student’s 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck or killed by the impact of the truck rear-ending his car. Officials are still looking into how and why the woman came off the freeway and onto the shoulder.
California Highway Patrol officers say drugs or alcohol have not played a part in this accident. The woman, who reportedly suffered moderate injuries in this accident, is not yet facing charges. But, this is clearly a case that requires more investigation. The most important question of course is how the woman lost control of her vehicle and went onto the shoulder of the freeway.
Was she distracted because she was using a cell phone or texting someone? Given that the accident occurred around midnight and the woman was heading home to Anaheim, did she fall asleep at the wheel? Or was there something wrong with her pickup struck that caused her to veer on to the shoulder?
This is indeed a horrible tragedy for Mr. Kim’s family. Our hearts go out to them and we offer them our sincere condolences. As personal injury attorneys who often help victims of auto accidents, we can understand how shocked and confused this family must be right now. They will have a lot of questions too. And as we often see, families are unable to find that sense of closure or even properly grieve for their loved ones because of these doubts and questions.
The best route for the family to take is to retain an experienced personal injury law firm whose attorneys will undertake a thorough and complete investigation of the case and make sure all these questions are answered. More importantly, a capable attorney will ensure that those responsible for their loved one’s death are held accountable and financially liable for their actions.