California Injury Blog
Maydelin Salas, 5, was killed and 13 others were injured in a 11-vehicle crash on the eastbound 60 Freeway at Santa Anita Avenue in El Monte.
According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the fatal crash and pileup occurred when a tanker truck hauling milk rear-ended a 2004 Nissan minivan, setting off a chain reaction early morning on August 14, 2014.
Maydelin was riding as a rear passenger in the minivan. She died from her injuries.
Thirteen others were injured, four of them critically.
Nine people suffered
injuries described as ranging from minor to moderate. The driver of the tanker truck, 41-year-old Agustin Ochoa of Bakersfield, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family members of Maydelin Salas for their terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this collision. We wish them all the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Crash Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2011 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were two fatalities and 432 injuries reported due to traffic collisions in the city of El Monte.
In Los Angeles County as a whole, 513 people died and 50,476 were injured as a result of traffic accidents during the same year.
What Caused This Crash?
Based on this news report, it appears that the tanker carrying milk was traveling eastbound on the freeway when it collided with cars slowing down in front of it. It is unclear why the truck failed to stop in time.
There are still unanswered questions here.
Was the driver of the truck fatigued at the time? Was he following the federal hours-of-service regulations mandated for commercial drivers? Was the truck driver operating the vehicle at an unsafe speed? Did the truck’s brakes fail due to poor maintenance?
We trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what caused this fatal collision and why.
Liability Issues
If the truck driver in this case is determined to have been at fault, both the driver and his or her employer can be held liable for the victims’ injuries, damages and losses.
Any time there are multiple vehicles involved, it is best not to talk to other parties’ insurance companies or attorneys.
Talk to your personal injury legal team first to ensure that your rights and best interests are being protected.
An experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will be able to assess all aspects of the incident and ensure that the at-fault parties are held accountable.