California Injury Blog
Authorities have identified the man killed in a Santa Ana car accident on April 11, 2009, as 43-year-old Isidoro Villalba Garcia. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Garcia was crossing West First Street outside of a crosswalk near North Jackson Street when he was struck by a car headed west on First. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the suspect vehicle, described as a black sedan and possibly a Honda, did not stop at the scene of the pedestrian versus car collision, Santa Ana police officials said. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s traffic division at 714-245-8214.
I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Isidoro Villalba Garcia for their tragic loss. Please keep them in your prayers.
I sincerely hope that this hit-and-run driver is apprehended and brought to justice. Hit-and-run is a serious criminal offense and in California the law requires motorists to stop and show identification and render aid to the victims in case of an personal injury accident. In this Santa Ana pedestrian accident, obviously, the driver did neither. The law requires you to stop irrespective of whether you were at fault or not.
California Vehicle Code section 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”
The family of Isidoro Villalba Garcia would be well-advised to consult with experienced Orange County personal injury attorneys who are well-versed with pedestrian accidents. A resourceful Orange County car accident attorney will also be able to give them information if the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause in their motor vehicle insurance could be applied in this case to help compensate them for their losses. However, this is a complex area of insurance and the claims are best handled by knowledgeable attorneys.
A skilled personal injury attorney should also look into whether there was a dangerous condition on that roadway. If that was the case, the city of Santa Ana could be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a California governmental agency must be filed within six months of the accident.