California Injury Blog
Eduardo Gayton, 70, was killed and 21 students in a school bus were injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, was caused by a teenager who was possibly driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal DUI car accident occurred the morning of October 25, 2010 at the intersection of East First Street and Soto Avenue in the Boyle Heights area.
A 17-year-old boy, driving his parents’ BMW, sped through a red light, struck Gayton who was walking in a crosswalk, and then plowed into a school bus with 46 students on board. The teen driver and two other boys in the car fled the scene of the car accident, but were arrested shortly afterward. The driver faces possible murder or manslaughter charges in addition to felony DUI and hit-and-run.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Eduardo Gayton for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep this grieving family in your prayers. I also wish all the injured students on the school bus the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
DUI Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 105 fatalities and 2,252 injuries involving DUI collisions in the city of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 258 people died and 4,832 were injured as a result of alcohol-related car accidents in 2008.
Violation of Several Laws
If the details of this news report are accurate, it appears that the 17-year-old driver in this case violated a number of California laws. First, he was operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, which is a serious crime. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.” A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges under California Penal Code section 191.5 (a).
Then, officials say, the driver ran a red light and hit a pedestrian, who was walking in a marked crosswalk, before colliding with the school bus. And after that, he and his two companions abandoned the car and fled on foot from the scene of the accident without even stopping to assist the elderly pedestrian or the young people on the school bus. Despicable! If the driver is determined to be guilty of these charges, I sincerely hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and faces the penalties he deserves. I commend the witnesses and bystanders who helped apprehend these teens.
Protecting Victims’ Rights
In such cases where negligence or wrongdoing is apparent, the family of the deceased car accident victim would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and make sure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. The family of the victim can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. For more information about the dangers of driving under the influence, please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving web site at www.madd.org.
Lost a family member in a Los Angeles hit-and-run 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 Los Angeles pedestrian accident. Call 866-310-5252. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Los Angeles 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.
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The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.