A young woman from Perris, California who was injured in a truck accident on the I10 Freeway in Blythe on Monday, later died on Saturday, February 18, 2017. The Riverside County Coroner’s Office stated that Barbara Emard, just 28 years of age, died Saturday at 1:22 p.m. at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Riverside County. According to the Patch.com, last Monday evening Ms. Emard had pulled her 1998 Ford Expedition vehicle onto the shoulder of the eastbound I10 Freeway at about 11 p.m.
Ms. Emard allegedly was beginning to accelerate back into the traffic lanes of the I10 freeway when apparently the front tire of a nearby 2006 Freightliner semi truck blew-out. As a result, the truck apparently lost control, veered to its right and struck the Ford expedition.
Allegedly, Ms. Emard was not wearing her seat belt, according to Officer K. Harrison of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Reportedly there also was a passenger in the Ford Expedition who survived — a one year old baby girl in the car who was in a child safety seat and who suffered only minor injuries.
It was also reported that the driver of the truck, Curtis Pendegraf, age 33, of Houston, Texas, sustained major injuries and was hospitalized. No further information on his condition was released at the time.
This tragic collision shows the importance of using safety restraining devices. Perhaps Ms. Emard might have sustained much less severe injuries and survived had she been safely restrained. The baby in her car, apparently safely in a car seat, suffered only minor injuries. We urge everyone to always use vehicle safety restraining devices, commonly called seat belts and shoulder straps. Should you ever have an injury accident, including any with or without the use of a seat belt, or a family member is involved in a wrongful death accident, please contact us right away at 866 INJURY 2 or 818.222.3400 for a FREE consultation and case evaluation. There is no fee or charge unless and until you win!