A car accident in Los Angeles resulted in critical injuries for two 14-year-old students who were struck while walking in a crosswalk on their way to school. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that the collision happened in Azusa the morning of March 29, 2011. The boy and girl were walking in a marked crosswalk near the intersection of Baseline Road and Rockvale Avenue when they were hit by a white Nissan Maxima. Both were transported to a local hospital with major injuries. Officials are still investigating the cause of this major injury pedestrian accident.

My heart goes out to these two young victims who have apparently suffered life-threatening injuries. I pray for their swift and full recovery. Read More

A car accident in Orange County resulted in injuries for a pedestrian the evening of March 29, 2011. The Orange County Register reports that the injury car accident occurred at the intersection of Main Street and Palmyra Avenue in Orange. Officials say the driver of a GMC Sierra pickup truck, hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, struck a guardrail and plowed into the store window of a 7-Eleven. A woman standing in front of the store was struck by the guardrail and transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

It is indeed fortunate that no one else was seriously injured in this pedestrian accident. I wish the injured victim the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Read More

An elderly driver who was fatally injured in a car accident in Riverside the morning of March 27, 2011, has been identified as 74-year-old Wilfredo Garcia. The Press-Enterprise reports that the fatal accident occurred near the intersection of Cajalco Road and Seaton Avenue in Perris when an Acura driven by 22-year-old Shetika Rabon crashed head-on into Garcia's westbound Mercury Villager van. Officials say Rabon was speeding and was under the influence of alcohol. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. Rabon was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and gross vehicular manslaughter.

I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Wilfredo Garcia for their tremendous loss. They will be in my prayers. Read More

A car accident in San Diego involving a hit-and-run driver resulted in severe injuries for Yvonne Morgan the morning of March 25, 2011. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the injury car accident occurred at the intersection of Jamacha and Sweetwater roads in Spring Valley. Officials say 21-year-old Jose Espinoza was under the influence when he ran a red light and broadsided Morgan's Lincoln Navigator. He then ran away from the scene of the crash, but was arrested shortly afterward. Morgan was hospitalized with head injuries. Espinoza faces felony DUI and hit-and-run charges.

I hope Yvonne Morgan, the victim of this hit-and-run car accident has not been catastrophically injured. I pray that she recovers swiftly and completely from whatever injuries she has sustained. Read More

A car accident in Huntington Beach left two people seriously injured the night of March 24, 2011. City News Service reports that the injury car accident happened at Yorktown Avenue and Newland Street in Huntington Beach. Police officials say that a BMW that was turning left was struck by a Lotus Elise, which was westbound on Yorktown. Both the drivers were transported to local hospitals with serious injuries. Anyone who witnessed this car accident is asked to contact Huntington Beach police at 714-536-5666. Officials are investigating the cause of this crash.

I hope none of the victims sustained major or catastrophic injuries. I wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery. They will be in my prayers. Read More

Oregon State Police are continuing to investigate a hit-and-run incident that left a male bicyclist hospitalized in critical condition. He has been unconscious since the crash, and the man’s family has made a public plea for the hit-run driver to do the right thing and go into the nearest police station. OSP is requesting that anyone with information on the crash call the Northern Command Center dispatch at 800-452-7888. Police believe that the suspect vehicle is a silver or gray 1995 Dodge Caravan.

On Tuesday March 22 at about 3:30pm, Thomas Christopher Mossman, age 67 of Molalla, Oregon was struck as he was riding westbound on a dark-colored bicycle on Highway 211 west of S. Palmer Road near milepost 10. The unidentified driver continued driving west without stopping.

Evidence that police found at the scene suggest that the suspect vehicle should have damage to the right front headlight, is missing the passenger side mirror, and may be missing some of the molding from the right side door. The molding left at the scene of the bike accident in Oregon was silver or gray in color. Police do not know whether the driver was a male or female.

Mossman was airlifted to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). He was wearing a bicycle helmet and was on his way to a friend’s house only 50 yards from the scene of the accident.

We hope that Mr. Mossman will experience a complete and full recovery from this tragic accident, and we know that there are many others who wish him well and will continue thinking of him.

On a major highway in the middle of the afternoon, someone should have seen something that could help police identify the hit-and-run driver. Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his/her actions. In a case like this, Mr. Mossman or his family should consider contacting a reputed Portland personal injury attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation that he deserves. At Shulman DuBois, we believe that what happened to Mr. Mossman is simply unacceptable; we want to see that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that victims receive just compensation.

Christopher Wurbel, 60, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the morning of March 23, 2011 at the intersection of Northpark Boulevard and H Street in San Bernardino. Wurbel was crossing the street when an eastbound sedan or SUV struck him. The driver did not stop. Police say the hit-and-run vehicle has damage to its right front corner and possibly its windshield. Wurbel sustained fatal injuries.

I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Christopher Wurbel for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep Wurbel's grieving family in your thoughts and prayers. Read More

Jacob Gutierrez, 15, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident, which police say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the fatal hit-and-run car accident occurred on Cactus Avenue in Bloomington the night of March 14, 2011. Gutierrez was riding his skateboard when he was hit by a truck. The young victim died in the hospital on March 20, 2011. The driver of the truck did not stop at the scene of the crash. It is not clear from the report if the police know the whereabouts of the driver or vehicle involved in this accident. An investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jacob Gutierrez. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic hit-and-run car accident. Read More

Maria Aguilar, 41, and Delia Medina, 17, were killed in a San Bernardino car accident when their 2000 Honda Civic was struck by multiple vehicles the afternoon of March 16, 2011. According to The Daily Bulletin, the fatal truck accident occurred on the 60 Freeway near Ramona Avenue in Chino. Aguilar was driving the Civic when a flatbed truck that had made a lane change clipped it. The Civic then spun out across lanes of the traffic where it struck a Honda CRX head-on, bounced off the center divider, before being broadsided by two separate big rigs. Aguilar was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and Medina died later at a nearby hospital. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Maria Aguilar and Delia Medina. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic car accident. Read More

Daniel Smilanick, 68, was killed in a Ventura car accident, which authorities say, involved a drunk driver who left the scene of the crash the morning of March 18, 2011. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred on Highway 101 near Del Norte Boulevard in Oxnard. Smilanick was riding his motorcycle in the middle lane when a pickup truck driven by Patrick Magann, 23, swerved into his lane and struck him.

Smilanick was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident after suffering multiple blunt force injuries. Magann was arrested after he led authorities on a high-speed chase into Santa Barbara County. He has been charged with murder, leaving the scene of an accident, evading an officer and driving under the influence.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Daniel Smilanick following this tragic hit-and-run accident. My thoughts and prayers are with his grieving family members.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), seven people were killed and 143 were injured in Oxnard DUI collisions. During that same year, there were 27 fatalities and 475 injuries reported involving alcohol-related car accidents in Ventura County.

Violation of Several Laws

If the details of this news report are accurate, several violations have been committed here. First, this driver was operating under the influence. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): "It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle." He left the scene of the car accident, which is a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a), and evaded authorities, putting other motorists on the roadway in great danger. I'm relieved to hear that this dangerous driver has been taken off the roadway.

Liability Issues

In such cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, the family of a deceased car accident victim would be well-advised to contact a reputed Ventura personal injury lawyer, who will help hold the at-fault motorist financially responsible for the damages. A knowledgeable car accident attorney will also be able to advise victims' families about how their own car insurance policy might apply to an incident where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.

Lost a family member in a Ventura County DUI car accident? Want to know your rights? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation? Want justice? Want to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to another family?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a fatal Oxnard motorcycle accident. Call 866-990-8787. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Ventura wrongful death lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing families of deceased accident victims since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.