A man and a 15-year-old boy, both of who were passengers in a box truck, died in a crash early April 23 on the 101 Freeway in Sherman Oaks. According to a news report, 20-year-old Bianca Lopez was driving a 2008 Honda east on Van Nuys Boulevard when she rear-ended a 2019 Isuzu box truck. The impact caused both vehicles to careen toward the center divider wall and into the westbound lanes. While in the westbound lanes, the Isuzu was struck by an oncoming 2017 Honda.
Fatalities and Injuries
The collision with the center divider wall and the subsequent collision with the 2017 Honda caused “significant intrusion to the passenger compartment of the Isuzu,” the official CHP report said. Two passengers in the Isuzu, a 40-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, sustained fatal injuries. The driver of the Isuzu, a 53-year-old man, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
The driver of the 2017 Honda, a 49-year-old woman from Reseda, was rushed to an area hospital with major injuries. A 2016 Dodge, also in the westbound lanes, was struck by concrete debris caused by the destruction of the center divider wall. But the driver, a 37-year-old woman, escaped without injuries. Lopez was taken into custody, but officials have not said what she has been charged with. CHP officials are urging anyone with information about this crash to call them at 818-888-0980.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased victims for their tragic loss. We also wish the injured victims the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Causes and Liability Issues
Based on this news report, it appears that this horrific chain reaction collision was triggered when Lopez, the driver of the 2008 Honda rear-ended the Isuzu box truck. It is not quite clear what caused Lopez to rear-end the truck. There are a number of unanswered questions here. Was the driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs? Was she distracted while driving? We trust officials are still investigating these and other issues in order to determine precisely what caused this crash.
In such cases injured victims may be able to seek compensation from the at-fault driver for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation as well. An experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer will be able to advise injured victims and families about their legal rights and options.
Source: https://www.dailynews.com/2021/04/24/2-killed-woman-arrested-after-4-vehicle-crash-in-sherman-oaks/