A police officer and another driver were taken to the hospital with personal injuries the morning of May 28, 2009 after a Long Beach car accident involving a patrol car and a minivan at a Long Beach intersection, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reports. The Long Beach car accident occurred at the intersection of Wardlow Road and Los Coyotes Diagonal. The force of the impact caused the van’s airbag to deploy and left the female driver trapped in the car, Long Beach fire officials said. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free her from the wreckage and took her to a local hospital for treatment of neck and back injuries. The police officer was also taken to the hospital for treatment. Long Beach police officers are investigating the car collision.
I hope the police officer and the other driver did not suffer major personal injuries. I wish them both the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 39 fatalities and 2,212 injuries involving car accidents in Long Beach. In Los Angeles County as whole, 712 deaths and 56,475 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of car accidents.
There are many unanswered questions as far as this car accident is concerned. There is no information in this news article about the circumstances of this car crash. Was the police officer heading over to an incident? Did he have his lights and sirens on or was he simply patrolling the area at a normal speed? Who had right of way at the intersection at the time of the car crash? Who was at fault for this car accident?
These are extremely important questions and the answers will determine who should be held accountable. If the police officer was at fault then both he and the Long Beach Police Department could be held liable for the woman’s injuries because he was on the job as a police officer at the time of the car collision. It’s also worrisome that this incident is being investigated by the Long Beach Police Department, provided this newspaper report is accurate. How can an agency objectively investigate themselves or one of their own? Hopefully, this investigation will be turned over to the California Highway Patrol so there is no conflict.
The victim in this case would be well advised to retain the services of experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorneys who will help protect her rights and make sure that a fair investigation is conducted in this case. It is never easy to go against a city, governmental agency or a police department. It is easy to get intimidated by these agencies. A skilled personal injury attorney who has experience dealing with government agencies in the past will be able to vigorously fight for the victim and make sure her rights are not being violated.