The two people who were fatally injured in a Simi Valley car accident the evening of March 17, 2010, have been identified as 24-year-old Jessica Zarate and 22-year-old Oliver Stokes. The Ventura County Star reports that Zarate was driving a sedan, with Stokes as a passenger, northbound on Sinaloa Road. That's when a 17-year-old female driver of an SUV, approaching Sinaloa, failed to stop for the red light and struck Zarate's car. The force of the collision caused fatal injuries to Zarate, who died on the spot and Stokes, who died shortly afterward at a hospital. Authorities are also trying to determine whether the teen driver was talking on her cell phone or texting at the time.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims here. I offer my heartfelt sympathies to those who knew and loved Zarate and Stokes for their sudden and untimely loss. Apparently, they were on their way to classes at Moorpark College at the time. Please keep them in you prayers at their time of grief.
Ventura County Car Accidents
There were six fatalities and 430 injuries in 2008, involving car accidents in Simi Valley, according to California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Ventura County as a whole, 63 deaths and 3,785 injuries occurred as a result of car accidents during the same year.
California Laws For Street Intersections
If the details of this news account are correct, then it appears the teen driver of the SUV was at fault for the accident. She failed to stop at the lighted intersection when required. It is important here to see why this driver did not stop. Was she speeding, distracted, impaired or otherwise negligent? If she is determined to have been responsible for this fatal accident, then, she may be held liable for the accident and the resulting deaths.
Claim for Compensation
Victims, and their families, in these types of accidents, may be well-served to consult with a reputed California personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and strive to protect their legal rights and best interests. A skilled car accident attorney will help determine if a wrongful death claim can be filed to help compensate victims' families for their medical/funeral expenses, lost future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.
We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons named in this article and their family members.
her phone records show she was NOT on the phone and the traffic light was not functioning correctly at the time...get the story straight
fiiirst of all..the police report was not submitted yet..so you or i do not know what happened..yes supposedly she showed simi valley accorn her phone records that clearly stated that she was not texting..HOWEVER..it did state that she received an incoming call at 5:13 and outgoing at 5:15(to call her sister after the accident) the accident was reported at 5:14 so doesnt that mean that she could have been destracted while receiving that first call?? yea i thought so..oliver and jessica were two of my very dear friends..so maybe you should get your story straight