Three people were injured in a Newport Beach car accident, which officials say was caused by a wrong-way driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision involving three vehicles occurred the morning of April 8, 2012 on Newport Boulevard. Officials say a man driving a red Toyota Yaris southbound in the northbound lanes of Newport Boulevard, crashed into a pickup truck near Hospital Road. Another car then rear-ended the truck. The Toyota’s driver was transported to an area trauma center with serious injuries. The two other drivers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of this crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims of this car accident. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), car accidents in the city of Newport Beach caused four fatalities and injured 448 people. During the same year, 141 people died and 13,373 were injured due to Orange County car accidents.
What Caused This Crash?
Based on this news account, it appears that the driver of the Toyota Yaris led to the collision by traveling the wrong way on Newport Boulevard. However, it is not entirely clear as to why the driver was going the wrong way. Was the male driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs? Was he disoriented? Did he suffer some type of medical problem? I trust investigators are looking into these and other factors in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.
Fault and Liability
If the driver of the Toyota is determined to have been at fault, then, he could be held liable for the injuries caused to the other drivers. In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation to cover damages such as medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. Car accident victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Newport Beach personal injury lawyer, who will analyze the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.