California Injury Blog
Chris Caldwell, 26, and Luciano Cervantes, 44, were both killed in a Riverside car accident involving a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal car accident occurred at the intersection of Cornell Street and Stetson Avenue in Hemet the early morning of February 23, 2011.
Police say Shane Albatross Stanscheit, 25, was driving at about 60 mph when he ran a stop sign and crashed his Chevrolet Silverado pickup into another Silverado pickup. Caldwell was a passenger in Stanscheit’s vehicle and Cervantes was the driver of the second vehicle. Both were killed. Cervantes’ wife and three children all sustained relatively minor injuries. Stanscheit fled the scene and was later arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run. He could face murder charges if prosecutors determine that the incident occurred during the commission of a felony.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Luciano Cervantes and Chris Caldwell following this hit-and-run car accident. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time. I particularly sympathize with Cervantes’ wife and children. I wish them a speedy and complete recovery from whatever injuries they have sustained.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), seven people were killed and 416 were injured in Hemet car accidents. During that same year, there were 220 fatalities and 8,561 injuries reported due to Riverside County car accidents.
Violations of the Law
If the details of this news report are accurate, it appears that the driver not only ran a stop sign at the intersection and crashed into the other vehicle, but also fled the scene of the accident leaving two people dead, one of them his own passenger. Appalling!
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.” Leaving the scene of an injury car accident is also a serious crime under California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a).
Liability Issues
The family of a victim killed by a negligent or reckless driver may pursue financial compensation for their loss by filing a wrongful death claim. In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased car accident victims can seek compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. An experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise families in such cases about their legal rights and options.
Lost a family member in a Riverside County 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 Hemet car accident. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Riverside 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.