Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Paul Smith was a fatal victim in a drunk driving accident on Friday, August 1st in Sacramento, California. Smith was a passenger in a car driven by Kirk Jones; both were Sacramento residents. Jones was driving a Pontiac, and was traveling at about 70 mph on Highway 116 when he attempted to pass another car while crossing a double yellow line. Jones swerved back into his own lane to avoid on-coming traffic and hit the side of the car he was passing. Eventually Jones’ car hit the guard rail and came to a complete stop, but Paul Smith suffered major injuries and died at the scene. Jones suffered minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.

It is a tragedy Paul Smith died, but there will always be risks when you get in a car with a drunk driver. It’s a risk that’s not worth taking. Paul Smith would still be alive today if he had not gotten in Jones’ car, but rather had found another way home.

In 2006, an estimated 15,827 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 33 minutes. These deaths constitute 37 percent of the 42,532 total traffic fatalities. Of these, 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater). On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 39 minutes.

About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their drivers.

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Gary Parvin, a 51-year-old Sacramento resident, was making a withdrawal from an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank on March 7th, 2008, when a car jumped a curb, hitting Parvin and pinning him up against the ATM. The impact from the car severed his right leg and severly broke his left leg, permanently putting him in a wheel chair.

The elderly woman who allegedly hit Parvin, had only a 15,000 dollar liability coverage. Which leaves Parvin paying for a majority of his catastrophic injury. He is now also trying to sue Wells Fargo.

Having no insurance or having under insurance can lead to extremely unfortunate consequences. If this woman would have had a higher liability coverage Gary Parvin wouldn’t have to struggle to get money for his injuries.

On Tuesday June 23rd, 2008 a man was sentenced 17 years in prison after crashing his car into another car, and killing a 13 year boy. It happened last summer. The crash took place in Bakersfield, south of Sacramento, California. Gordon Tutton was intoxicated when he ran through a stop sign, and hit a car crossing the street. This resulted in the 13 year old’s death and seriously injured mother. After a two week trial the jury found the defendant guilty for vehicular manslaughter.

According to MADD:

“Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States.”

You may have heard of the famous country music band “Asleep at the Wheel.” While that is a clever name for a band, actually falling asleep at the wheel is nothing to sing about. I should know. I’ve had a family member die because she fell asleep while driving. And as a paralegal for a personal injury attorney in Sacramento, I’ve seen other families devastated by this driving danger. A passenger who is injured because the driver fell asleep and crashed their car or truck has a claim for personal injury.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, at least 100,000 auto accidents each year are attributable to drivers falling asleep while on the road. This results in 1,500 fatalities annually. These statistics represent horrible tragedies that could be prevented.

A well-known travel Web site, www.gadling.com, offers some tips for staying alert behind the wheel of a vehicle. Some of the tips include.

Nineteen year old Brandi Thomas has now been arrested after hitting two bicyclists in El Dorado Hills, just north of Sacramento California. it has been reported that Brandi had been drinking all night and still had Alcohol in her system when she hit the two bicyclists.

The two bicyclists were identified as Kathi R. Sturgeon, 48, and Katherine Hurd, 43, both of El Dorado Hills. Both of these woman have been critically injured and are still in the hospital.

According to the police report:

A 24 year old student is currently facing charges for two accounts of second degree murder and vehicular manslaughter, in Encino, south of California’s capital Sacramento.

The alleged drunk driver, Sean Martin Mishlof, did not stop his car at an intersection and collided into the car in front of him. Both passengers in the car that was hit were wearing seat belts, but suffered catastrophic head trauma and died immediately.

Police Sgt. Larry Jones from the Los Angeles Police Department said:

May 1st was a scary day for some motorists in Antioch, California, not very far from our capital Sacramento. Twenty five year old Pittsburg residents Shawna George and Nicole Berry crashed their SUV, which contained Shawna’s two young boys in the back seat. The Police believe Nicole Berry and Shawna George were under the influence of alcohol and did not secure the kids in there car seats properly, thus resulting in them being thrown out of the car. Shawna’s 8 month old son only suffered minor personal injuries but her 3 year old son suffered serious personal injuries and is still in critical condition and has only slightly improved.

Officers found a pint of Hennessy cognac inside the vehicle, CHP Officer Tom Maguire said.

This blogger is unaware if the city or family of the kids have lawyers.

Last week in Los Angeles, Sacramento, California’s sister to the south, a teen was killed in a car crash and three passengers were injured.

Danielle Barrett, 16 years old, left her high school at lunchtime on May 1st with three of her friends, to have a pleasant lunch not expecting it to be Barrett’s last one.

Danielle Barrett, 16, was driving north on Grand Avenue in the unincorporated area of north Fillmore at a high speed when she ran off the road onto the dirt shoulder and lost control of her car, according to the CHP. Barrett’s car then veered across the road and overturned several times before it came to rest on its wheels in an orange grove.

A man in Paso Robles has been rearraigned and is facing three felony charges from a car crash he caused on Highway 101 near Ventura, CA.

In the crash, the man, Jeremy White, killed one man, Andreas Parra, 20, and severely injured another, California Highway Patrolman Anthony Pedeferri, 36. Officer Pedeferri has been with the CHP for over 11 years and is an accomplished tri-athlete. He is currently in the hospital for rehabilitation

The charges the young man, only 20-years-old, face are gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence, causing an injury and refusing to take a chemical test, and selling/transporting marijuana.

Note: This article was taken from the Charleston Gazette Law Blog page of their website. To view the article, please click here.

From the Charleston Gazette:

Girl hurt in wreck gets $1.25 million