Surviving SUV Rollover Accident

An SUV collision in Long Beach Freeway injured nine people, two of whom are children.

According to the California Highway Patrol, a Ford Explorer blew out its front left tire which led its driver to overcorrect and shoot across two lanes. It crashed against a GM SUV and the impact of the collision caused the Ford to rollover three to four times.

Nine people were riding in the Ford SUV and four were ejected during the rollover because they were not properly restrained. The driver suffered major injuries while the driver of the GM SUV was uninjured.

Car rollover accidents usually occur when drivers lose control of a vehicle – it can be triggered by a tire blow out; a sudden, sharp turn; and most of the time, it happens while driving an SUV.

SUVs, as well as pick-ups are notoriously prone to rollover. Its physical differences with smaller cars and sedans such as its width, higher mass distribution and higher center of gravity can increase the chances for a rollover accident especially if drivers are careless or reckless.

SUV occupants accounted for as much as 58 percent of all people killed in crashes were in vehicles that rolled over in 2008.

Rollover accidents usually result to more fatalities than any other kind of motor vehicle accident. Many rollovers lead to partial or full ejection of occupants from the vehicle and a lot of occupants who get ejected die from serious head injuries immediately.

In 2008 alone, 9,023 passenger vehicle occupants died in crashes where their vehicle rolled over.

While it would be impossible to predict exactly when a rollover accident can happen (it can be caused by the driver’s own negligence, another party’s negligence, or even the road conditions), there is a way to prevent serious injuries or at the worst case scenario, death.

Using a seatbelt is the easiest and most effective way to reduce the risk of injury or death in a rollover. Occupants in vehicles that roll can be thrown from the vehicle if not properly restrained – as much as 66 percent of people killed in passenger vehicle rollover crashes in 2007 were unbelted.

Police Commences 18-Day Crackdown on Drunk Drivers this Holiday Season

Bad news for drunk drivers in San Diego, various law enforcement agencies in the county has joined forces to begin an 18-day crackdown on possible DUI drivers.

Actually, this is more like good news as this program may save your life.
With the advent of the holiday season, authorities expect a rise in the number of DUI cases.

The police know that there are still a lot of negligent drivers out there who believes they can drive a car even when drunk.

Various agencies will set up a number of DUI checkpoints in key locations and flood the streets with police officers to deter these drunken drivers from causing car accidents.

This zero-tolerance effort will last through January 3, thanks to the grant from California’s Office of Traffic Safety.

This yearly program has been proven effective in decreasing the number of car accidents related to DUI.

Hopefully, this year will set another record with the lowest number of injuries and fatalities related to alcohol or drugs.

If that happens we truly will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays.

5th DUI Offender Sentenced to a Year in Jail

Recently, prosecutors in Windsor have decried the one-year jail sentence imposed on a drunk driver convicted for the fifth time.

Thirty-five year old Emilio Guzman Garcia was busted for DUI last October 15 at around 1 AM in the area of Old Redwood Highway and Starr Road and driving with a suspended license.

He had a .12 percent blood-alcohol level which is above the state’s limit of .08 BAC and was also driving around with a half-full can of beer on the front seat and more cans of beer on the backseat.

Garcia had prior DUI convictions since 1996 and had previously also been sentenced to a year in county jail in his last conviction. He also had a previous conviction of possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

Judge Elliot Daum, who had sentenced Garcia in his last conviction, sentenced him again to one year in county jail and probation amidst protests for a harsher sentence from prosecutors.

In all the years Garcia has been driving drunk, he’s been lucky enough not to have been involved in any fatal car crash accident. In 2008 alone, 11,773 people died in highway crashes involving a drivers or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

California had 1,029 alcohol-related car crash fatalities and 28,457 were injured in collisions with drivers having a alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

Sooner or later, no matter how careful the driver is, driving under the influence will still result to an accident. Tragically, it may end up taking the driver’s life, his passenger or even an innocent motorist and pedestrian.

The California Office of Traffic Safety reminds drivers this holiday season to bear in mind, that if you drive and drink over the blood alcohol limit, you will be arrested and surely charged.

Trucker Found in Truck Stop after Leaving Accident Scene

A trucker fled the scene of a truck accident but was later found by Ontario police at a truck stop.

According to Ontario police, Francisco Lecaro of Perris of California left after hitting two people who were chaining up their own truck on a freeway off-ramp in Eastern Oregon.

Milton Belton, 49, died at the scene while Miguel Victorio-Alvarez, 45, sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Lecaro just made his situation even worse by running from the scene of the accident.
Instead of just worrying about civil liability lawsuits that could be taken care of the trucking company and its insurance company, he chose to leave the scene.

As a result, he gave the city a reason to prosecute him criminally.

The truck accident even resulted in death which means he could at be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

We all have a duty to stop after a vehicular accident. Not only because it is required by law but because it’s the right thing to do.

If he had stopped, he could have assisted the injured parties and could have avoided the death of Belton.

Instead, he left the scene and now he might be facing some serious jail time for his choices.

Fighting the Figures: LAPD’s Increased Motorcycle Safety Enforcement

In 2008, at least 5,091 people died in fatal motorcycle crashes – raising California’s motorcycle fatality statistics by as much as 91% from 2000 to 2008.

Los Angeles motorcycle accidents in particular, have also made a huge leap and there is as much as a 62% from 2004 to 2008 of motorcycle traffic collisions.

Following the loss of one of its own officers in a motorcycle accident, the Los Angeles Police Department has stepped up its motorcycle safety enforcement.

Additional officers will be dispatched two or three times a month in order to patrol areas which have a high rate of motorcycle accident. There will be increased patrols conducted by motorcycle officers in eight-hour stints.

Critical areas to be monitored include Topanga Canyon, Pacific Coast Highway, Crenshaw Boulevard and the San Fernando Valley.

However, officers will not just be citing motorcycle riders who commit traffic violations, other motorists will also be included in the patrol especially drivers who make unsafe lane changes and turns.

The motorcycle safety enforcement program will run until September 30, 2010 and is funded through a $100,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The proliferation of motorcycles on the roads these days is largely connected to the fact that they are more fuel-efficient and convenient than cars. But along with the upsurge of motorcycles running rampant are also the ballooning statistics of motorcycle accident injuries and deaths.

The majority of motorcycle accidents deaths involve a multiple vehicle collision. As many 2,767 people died in motorcycle traffic collisions and it makes up 54% of fatalities.

LAPD’s efforts to increase patrol will be a crucial element in helping to bring down the body count in motorcycle accidents.

Aside from unsafe lane changing, turning, reckless driving, speeding, and DUI, officers will also be able to implement California’s helmet laws more stringently which in turn would greatly reduce the number of motorcycle deaths by as much as 37 percent and brain injuries by as much as 67 percent.

Pitbulls Attack 71-Year Old Man

In Encino, a 71-year old man was brutally attacked by two pit bulls while he was walking along Burbank Boulevard.

The old man got knocked by the pitbulls and tried to defend himself by raising his hands against the dogs but instead got multiple bite marks on his arms.

Nearby motorists came to the man’s aid and scared off the dogs. Some drivers used their car horns and one even nudged one of the dogs with his car bumper. The old man was rushed to the hospital and was reported to be in a stable condition.

According to the police, the dogs have escaped from the backyard of a nearby home being watched over by a house sitter while the owners were away.

Animal services are now investigating the attack and the owners may face criminal or civil action. The dogs may also either be impounded or quarantined.

Under the law in California, dog attacks fall under the strict liability doctrine – this means that the dog owner will be held liable for any damage inflicted by his dog even he wasn’t negligent or if his dog has no attack history.

But given the attack incident in Encino, the 71-year old man may file a claim for damages against the pet owner on the basis of the negligence.

Negligence can be proven on the part of the dog owner if he is:

• Mishandling a dog
• Ineffectively controlling or failing to control a dog
• Putting a dog in a situation that can possibly cause injuries
• Violating animal control laws (Leash Laws)

Under the law, the owner has the duty to exercise reasonable care and due diligence to prevent his pet from harming people or property (i.e. other pets).

If his dog has an aggressive nature (i.e. pitbulls), putting a leash on the pet as well as securing the dog in a backyard or having a fence will keep the dog from wrecking havoc in the community.

LAPD Officer in Fatal DUI Motorcycle Crash

After 19 years in the Los Angeles Police Department, Officer Kenneth Aragon lost his life in a single-vehicle crash while riding his motorcycle home last December 3, 2009. He was taken to Glendale Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind five children.

An investigation on the cause of the crash however, revealed that the 47-year old police officer had drunk so much right before the accident that his blood-alcohol level was well over the legal limit of .08 percent.

According to the authorities, 90 minutes before the fatal motorcycle crash, Officer Aragon had been drinking at the bar on the department's training academy campus.

The academy bar is usually the go-to place for police officers to gather, drink and celebrate occasions such as “payday Wednesday.” Aragon allegedly spent several hours drinking and singing karaoke with other officers and guests at the bar.

Aside from the laws in California which prohibit operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, it is a misdemeanor in California to serve alcohol to someone who is visibly intoxicated.

Drunk motorcycle drivers also have the highest risk of fatality compared to other drivers.

In 2008 alone, 30 percent of all fatally injured motorcycle drivers had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 percent and single-vehicle crash fatalities who were DUI was at 43 percent.

Also, more than half of all motorcycle nighttime fatalities, as much as 58 percent had BACs at or above 0.08 percent.

While it is indeed a tragedy that Officer Aragon had to leave his family behind, his death could have easily been avoided had he simply followed the law he was sworn to protect and uphold.

Driving under the influence is already a risk, even if the driver is riding in a Hummer or a Benz. But DUI while riding a motorcycle, more often than not, is a fatal destination.