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Teenager Killed in California DUI Car Crash
August 31, 2007

On August 27th, 18-year-old Ryan Edwards was returning home with his friends from a weekend in the Mexican border town of Tijuana. Near Thousand Oaks, California their car collided with a sign when the driver made an unsafe turn, and slipped down an embankment before flipping over. Ryan was killed instantly. The driver, a 17-year-old, whose identity was not released, was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The third passenger suffered minor injuries in the crash.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, and then released to his parents. The police also reportedly found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. The driver may be charged for vehicular manslaughter.

Meanwhile, Edwards who just began studying at Moorpark College, is being mourned by family and close friends. All seemed to agree that his was a promising life that has been cut short. He was ambitious and extroverted, they said, and had always been a high achiever.

This episode illustrates how essential it is to be of sound mind while driving. It doesn't take long for a vacation adventure to turn into a wrongful death when there are intoxicants involved. At the end of this particular story, there has been one young life lost, another with injuries and a third who'll have to live forever with the ignominy of causing a fatal auto accident.

There is never any excuse for driving while intoxicated. If you were injured or had a family member killed by a motorist who was under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, or any other drug, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group. The consultation is free, and you pay no attorneys' fees unless we win financial compensation for your claim.

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Speeding Car Causes Collision in Glendale, California
August 28, 2007

Although Chevy Chase Drive in Glendale, California, is not a particularly accident-prone zone, traffic authorities have had some problems with speeding cars in the past. To educate drivers about the hazards of speeding and the high risks of accidents, personal injury and death involved, local police have established ongoing education programs to alert drivers to put safety and not speed first. Arman Ayrman, it seems, either missed these programs, or wasn't paying a whole lot of attention.

On Monday, Ayrman a resident of Pasadena, California was headed west on Chevy Chase Drive, and by all initial reports was way over the speed limit. Near Boynton Street, Glendale, his black Mercedes hit a parked van, and then careened into incoming traffic, crashing headlong into a silver Honda Accord. The impact of the crash was tremendous, according to witnesses, and Ayrman suffered some non life threatening injuries. He fared better than the driver of the Accord who had to be extricated from the mangled wreckage. He was immediately rushed to the trauma center at Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center with serious head injuries.

According to Glendale, California police, a third car, a BMW was also involved in the accident. Both cars were speeding when the Mercedes brushed against the parked van, and went veering right into the Honda Accord.

Close to 36% of all car accident fatalities in California can be traced to driving over the speed limit. The reason why so many fatalities are caused when a speeding car is involved is based on simple physics. There is a greater amount of energy dissipated in a high speed car crash and consequently a higher risk of injury or death.

If you have been involved in a traffic accident involving a speeding car, you might be entitled to a legal settlement for your medical bills and lost work hours. Call the automobile accident attorneys at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation on your rights.

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Girls Injured in Stanton Auto Accident are Doing Much Better
August 24, 2007

Miracles do happen, it seems. Two Garden Grove, California girls who were critically injured in a three car crash on Sunday night have recovered sufficiently, and are expected to make great progress. It's terrific news for the family, doctors at the UCI medical center in Orange, California and the community at large who have been praying for the girls since the horrific accident.

On Sunday night, 6 year old Ariana and 11 year old Brittany were in the rear seat of their 1967 Ford Mustang. Their father David Figueroa was driving and mother Joan was in the front passenger seat. The car stopped at a traffic light in Stanton, and was rear ended by a Ford 150 pick up truck. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the Ford 150 ran up into the car's back seat and sent the Mustang careening into a BMW and a Mitsubishi pickup truck nearby. The driver of the BMW suffered neck injuries, while the driver of the pickup was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

The two girls suffered severe head trauma, and were rushed to the UCI Medical Center in Orange, California where they remained under amedically induced coma. On Wednesday, however, both girls were reported to have begun the recovery process, and were said to be alert and talking. Considering the state of the Mustang after the crash, it's a miracle the girls are even alive today.

The driver of the Ford 150, Joseph Manore from La Habra, California, tested positive for marijuana and was booked for driving under the influence. He has since been charged with felony driving under the influence, and also four charges of inflicting bodily harm. He has pled not guilty to all charges, and will continue to remain at the Orange County Jail.

DUI is one of the major causes of car accidents in this country, and not enough action is taken to penalize those who so recklessly endanger the lives of others. Although this particular story was not as tragic as it might have been, there are numerous others who are not as lucky. For every Adriana or Brittany who escapes lasting personal injury or wrongful death, there are countless others who are maimed or killed in DUI accidents.

If you have been injured in a DUI accident, call the capable personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Major Ontario California Car Crash Leaves Four Dead
August 20, 2007

As inured as we've become to SUV crashes and the resulting fatalities, this one is particularly hard to digest. On Saturday in Ontario, California four people including a four-year-old boy were killed when the van in which they were traveling was slammed into by an oncoming SUV that careened over the yellow line, and rammed into it head on. The van, after being hit by the Ford Explorer, spun around several times before hitting a Ford Escort. The driver of the Escort escaped with minor injuries. The passengers in the van who were later identified by the San Bernardino County Coroner's Office weren't as lucky. 55-year-old Pamela Kay Estes who was driving the van didn't stand a chance. She died instantaneously, and had to be cut out of the mangled metal by emergency personnel. That was the scale of the wreckage.

76-year-old William Edward Warren was ejected from the front passenger seat, and died on the spot. 72-year-old Freda Mae Warren who was sitting in the back with two young children died later in the hospital. The four-year-old boy died after being air lifted to a hospital. A one-year-old boy who was also in the van has been hospitalized with severe injuries, and is reported to be in a critical condition. All were residents of Fontana, California, and the accident occurred on the Ontario border of Rancho Cucamonga.

Although exact details of the crash are unclear at this point, this much seems to be clear. The 18-year-old driver of the Explorer was driving north on Etiwanda Ave and for some reason veered in to incoming traffic, including the ill-fated van.

It has long been known that extensive injuries and fatalities are more likely when an SUV is involved in a crash. In 2000, SUVs had the highest rollover rate for passenger vehicles in injury crashes: 12 percent, as compared to 7 percent for pickups, 4 percent for vans and 3 percent for passenger cars. In fact, one of the vehicles involved in the accident, the Ford Explorer, is 16 times more likely than the typical family car to kill occupants of another vehicle in a crash. But these facts don't make this particular tragedy any harder to bear. Negligent or aggressive driving is a major cause of car crashes in this country, and this combined with the added force of an SUV, meant the passengers in the van hardly stood a chance.

If you've been injured or lost a loved one in a car crash, call the personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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California Senator Injures Two in Cell Phone-Distraction Car Crash, Gets Probation
August 16, 2007

Since California passed a law starting in 2008 that bans handset cell phone use, you would think that California legislators would be more aware and careful drivers than most. In fact, at the signing ceremony for that law in 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger urged all drivers to "stop using them now. You are putting people at risk. You could kill [a] child just because you were looking down at your phone." So surely California legislators understand how essential it to devote your full attention to driving while on the road. State Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) disproved that theory in May when she accidentally slammed into a stopped car because she was distracted by talking on her cell phone, injuring a woman and her three-year-old daughter.

The Los Angeles Times reports that before the collision 911 received several calls from concerned drivers saying that an SUV, which turned out to be Migden's state-leased vehicle, was hitting guardrails and swerving in and out of lanes. They also mention she was talking on a cell phone while making these dangerous maneuvers. Investigators for the California Highway Patrol concluded that Migden was speeding on Interstate 80 before she hit the car in Fairfield. In a classic bit of political self-contradiction, Migden said she has "always accepted full responsibility for the accident I caused," but also that "the driving incident was the result of a medical condition."

On August 11, she was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $710 in fines and court fees. This high profile accident will hopefully inspire other drivers to concentrate on the road while driving, and conduct all in-car eating, talking, or personal grooming while safely parked.

Many reported accidents involve a single distracted driver, so it is vital to always be aware of yourself and other cars even when traveling a short distance.

If you feel you have suffered serious personal injury in an auto accident due to another driver's recklessness, please contact the experienced auto accident attorneys at The Reeves Law Group. The consultation is free, and it might mean the difference between paying for your medical bills yourself and getting the compensation you deserve.

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