Three women, Angela Prado, 49, Elda Nava-Mayo, 24, and Sara Flores, 40, were killed in an Orange County crash after the Ford Excursion SUV in which they were passengers crashed on a freeway exit. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal SUV rollover crash occurred the night of August 8, 2011 on the northbound 5 Freeway at the Beach Boulevard exit in Buena Park. The three female passengers died at the scene while two others, including the 41-year-old driver and an 16-year-old passenger, sustained major injuries and were transported to a local trauma center.
California Highway Patrol officials say the female driver of the Ford Excursion was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle. The SUV crashed into a guardrail, rolled over several times and came to rest on its side. Four occupants had been ejected from the vehicle, which was fully engulfed in flames. An investigation is ongoing.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of the deceased crash victims. My heart also goes out to the injured victims of this rollover accident. Please keep these victims and their families in your prayers.
Car Accident Statistics
According to CHP’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were two fatalities and 426 injuries involving car accidents in Buena Park. In Orange County as a whole, 141 people died and 13,373 were injured due to car accidents, during the same year.
What Caused This Crash?
Based on this news report, it appears that speed may have been a factor in this tragic rollover crash. Officials say the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, but have not specified how fast she was driving. California Vehicle Code Section 22350 (Basic Speed Law) states: “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic and on surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.”
Fault and Liability
If the driver is determined to have been at fault, then, she can be held liable for the passengers’ injuries, wrongful deaths, damages and losses. If a vehicle defect, malfunction or defective design led to the crash and injuries, then, the auto maker can be held liable. An experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise victims or their families in such cases about their legal rights and options.
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Many people in Orange County do not make complete stops when they approach a stop sign and are ticketed on a frequent basis. Do you feel that this deserves a ticket?
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