California Injury Blog
Dennis Splan, 40, was killed in a San Francisco car accident, which authorities say, was caused by a drunk driver. According to a KTVU San Francisco news report, the fatal DUI collision occurred on Hesperian Boulevard in Hayward the night of January 22, 2011. Splan was a passenger in a Toyota Tundra that was rear-ended by a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser driven by 43-year-old Juan Nunez. The Tundra then hit the center median of the roadway as a result of the impact. Splan died from his injuries in a nearby hospital. The driver of the Tundra suffered minor injuries as did the driver of the Land Cruiser. Nunez has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI as well as two counts of hit-and-run. The hit-and-run charges stem from two crashes that Nunez had fled just prior to the fatal rear-end accident.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Dennis Splan. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.
DUI Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), two people were killed and 70 were injured in DUI collisions in Hayward. During that same year, there were 34 fatalities and 687 injuries reported due to alcohol-related car accidents in Alameda County.
Drunk Driving Laws
Police say Nunez was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the tragic collision. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a). A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges as Nunez does in this case.
California Penal Code Section 191.5 (a) states: “Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence.”
Liability Issues
In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, the family of a deceased car accident victim may file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. The family would also be well-advised to contact a reputed San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who has a successful track record of financially pursuing drunk drivers on behalf of car accident victims and their families. For more information about the dangers of drunk driving, please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) web site at www.madd.org.
Lost a family member in a San Francisco 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 Hayward car accident. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys San Francisco car accident 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.