California Injury Blog
Ramon Aguayo, 49, was killed in a Garden Grove car accident after he lost control of his Chevy Avalanche and crashed on the 405 Freeway, The Orange County Register reports. Aguayo was driving north on the 405 Freeway at the 22 Freeway interchange where the roadway curves. Aguayo for some reason missed the curve and drove his Avalanche straight down, ran off the roadway and struck a concrete drainage ditch, California Highway Patrol officials said.
The sport utility vehicle overturned, struck a tree and came to rest at a metal guardrail on the 405 Freeway near the 22 Freeway overcrossing. Aguayo was pronounced dead at the scene of the car crash. He was apparently driving at the speed limit — 65 mph. CHP officials are still looking into what caused this fatal car collision.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Ramon Aguayo for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Aguayo. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to the California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were seven fatalities and 837 injuries involving car accidents in Garden Grove. In Orange County, in 2007, 178 deaths and 14,185 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents.
In this particular case, it is not clear what caused Aguayo to miss the curve and crash his SUV. Was there a mechanical malfunction or a defective product such as loss of steering control that caused him to lose control of the Avalanche? Was there a dangerous condition on the road such as lack of adequate lighting or signage?
The family of Ramon Aguayo would be well advised to consult experienced Orange County car accident attorneys, who will look into this incident and determine what caused it. If it was caused by a motor vehicle defect, the car manufacturer could be held liable for the car accident and resulting personal injuries. If it was caused by a dangerous roadway, Caltrans or the governmental agency in charge of maintaining that section of the freeway could be held responsible. Please remember that any claim against a governmental agency in California must be properly filed within six months of the accident. I’d strongly suggest the family preserve the Avalanche in its current condition, unaltered, so it can be examined by an expert for mechanical problems, car product defects and other evidence.