Three people were injured in a Garden Grove bus accident, which involved an Orange County Transportation Authority bus and three other vehicles, the morning of May 9, 2012. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred on the eastbound 22 Freeway at Harbor Boulevard. California Highway Patrol officials say the chain-reaction collision started when an OCTA bus rear-ended an Acura sedan on the freeway as it merged from the Harbor Boulevard on-ramp. The impact of the collision pushed the Acura into a Ford Mustang, which in turn crashed into a pickup. Three people were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the three victims of this crash. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to CHP’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 14 fatalities and 647 injuries occurred involving Garden Grove car accidents. Also, during the same year, 141 people died and 13,373 were injured due to car accidents in Orange County.
What Caused This Crash?
Based on this news account, it appears that the bus rear-ended the Acura sedan, which triggered a chain-reaction collision. There are several unanswered questions here. What caused the driver of the bus to strike the Acura? Was the bus driver impaired, distracted, inattentive or traveling too fast? Did the bus driver make an unsafe lane change?
Rear-end accidents are often caused by drivers following too close behind another vehicle or by distracted drivers. California Vehicle Code Section 21703 states: “The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the roadway.” California Vehicle Code section 21704 also states that the driver “shall keep the vehicle he is driving at a distance of not less than 300 feet to the rear of any other motor vehicle subject to such speed restriction which is preceding it.”
Fault and Liability
If this accident was the bus driver’s fault, both the bus driver and his or her employer, OCTA, could be held liable for the injuries and damages caused. Injured victims can seek compensation to cover damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related expenses. Victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Garden Grove personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.