A 40-year-old man from Richgrove was killed and two other men — Carlos Jimenez, 23, and Jose Espinoza, 26, were injured in a Kern County car accident, which officials say, occurred because a driver ran a stop sign. The Fresno Bee reports that the fatal car accident occurred at the intersection of Sherwood Avenue and Highway 65 near Porterville the night of October 15, 2010. Police believe that the man drove his 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe through a stop sign at a high rate of speed before colliding with a 1988 Ford 7000 flatbed truck. The driver of the Tahoe was killed at the scene. Jimenez, the driver of the Ford truck, sustained a broken leg, while his passenger, Espinoza, suffered moderate injuries.
My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the man killed in this tragic car accident. My thoughts and prayers are also with the injured occupants of the flatbed truck. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Kern County Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 103 people were killed and 3,460 were injured in Kern County car accidents. In the unincorporated areas of Kern County, 68 people died and 1,979 sustained personal injuries as a result of car accidents during the same year.
What Caused This Tragic Accident?
Based on this news report, police believe that the fatally injured driver in this case may have run a stop sign. California law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and proceed with caution. According to California Vehicle Code Section 21802 (a): “The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection shall stop as required by Section 22450. The driver shall then yield the right-of-way to any vehicles which have approached from another highway, or which are approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to those vehicles until he or she can proceed with reasonable safety.”
Liability Issues
If the driver of the SUV is determined to have been at fault here, then the injured victims can seek compensation by filing a claim against the driver’s estate or liability insurance. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise victims or their families in such cases about their legal rights and options.
Lost a family member in a California car accident? Want to know your rights? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation? Want justice? Want to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to another family?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a fatal Kern County car accident. Call 866-310-5252. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys California wrongful death lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing families of deceased accident victims since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.
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The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.