California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Driver in Diamond Bar DUI that Killed Six Sentenced to 30 to Life

December 18, 2018 | by Robert Walch

On February 9, 2014, 26-year-old Olivia Culbreath from Fontana, drove against oncoming traffic causing a horrific California drunk driving collision that killed six people.

According to ABC 7 News, Culbreath had been previously drinking before entering the freeway and driving her Camaro the wrong way at “speeds of up to 100 miles per hour in the early morning.” Her car slammed into a Ford explorer, and ultimately caused a three-car pileup. Four people in the explorer, all from the same family, were killed. Two passengers in Culbreath’s car were also killed, one of the victims being her sister.

Three hours after the accident her blood alcohol level was still .15%, nearly double the legal limit in California of .08%. Apparently, Culbreath had previously been arrested for a DUI and was warned by the court on that occasion about the dangers of driving under the influence. In May, she was convicted after pleading no contest to six counts of second-degree murder. This past week, the Judge sentenced her to thirty years to life for her actions that caused this terrible tragedy.

Young Man Killed in Perris Motorcycle Wrongful Death

December 10, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A 22-year-old young man from San Jacinto, Thomas Llamas, was recently killed in a Perris motorcycle accident. According to The Press-Enterprise, the Perris accident occurred at the intersection of Rider Street and Wilson Avenue, when a sedan made a left turn as Llamas was traveling straight through the intersection.

Llamas struck the passenger side of the vehicle. He was immediately taken to the Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, but passed away shortly after his arrival. The driver of the sedan was not injured in the accident and was not arrested. The police are still trying to determine what caused the accident, but drugs or alcohol do not appear to have been involved.

Unfortunately, fatalities from motorcycle accidents nationwide have more than doubled over the past 15 years. Motorcycles can be an especially appealing mode of transportation in Southern California due to the beautiful weather and heavily trafficked roads, but this can mean there is even more danger for motorcyclists. A report from earlier this year showed that in 2016, “566 motorcyclists were killed in California — an 11 percent increase from 494 deaths in 2015…that doesn’t include the 14,400 motorcyclists injured.” California also ranks in the top 15 of the 50 states for motorcycle fatalities.

One Killed in Perris Freeway Accident

December 3, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A recent Perris car accident resulted in the death of 54-year-old William Shelton of Lemon Grove and left another motorist with minor injuries. The Press-Enterprise reported that three vehicles were involved in the accident which occurred on the Southbound side of the freeway around 7:20 p.m.

The accident caused one of the cars involved, a dark-colored sedan, to flip over and cross into the northbound side of the 215 freeway. Though it is not clear which car was driven by Mr. Shelton, it was reported he died at the scene. The accident closed two lanes on the southbound side of the 215 freeway for several hours causing heavy traffic on the freeway, as well as the Ramona Expressway as cars tried to exit.

California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating what caused this freeway crash. There are many possible causes for freeway accidents, especially on the busy Southern California freeways. Causes can include natural things such as rain or fog which cause poor visibility that can lead to accidents, or intentional things such careless choices by a driver to drive while intoxicated, texting, or while drowsy. When a car accident involves more than one car, like in this case, it is possible that one or more drivers could be at fault.

Riverside County Pedestrian Killed by Golf Cart

November 29, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A 77-year-old Aguana pedestrian was recently killed when he was hit by a golf cart while crossing the street. According to The Press-Enterprise, the pedestrian was crossing the street in a mobile home park when a 73-year-old resident driving a golf cart failed to stop and collided with the pedestrian.

The pedestrian was thrown onto the asphalt roadway, and hit his head causing major head trauma. Police and medical personnel responded to the scene and found the pedestrian in critical condition. He was airlifted to Inland Valley Medical Center, where he died later that day.

Police will continue to investigate the incident, to determine what exactly caused the accident. It appears that the golf cart driver may have simply not been paying attention to the road or the pedestrian. Still, this does not excuse the golf cart driver from liability for this wrongful death accident.

Suspects Evading Police Injure Four in Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Crash

November 10, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A car chase in South Los Angeles of several suspects evading the police, resulted in a car collision at the 1300 block of W. 59th Place. The four people riding in the vehicle that was hit, a Mazda SUV, included a mother and three children and all were injured in the crash.

According to ABC 7 News, the chase started when LAPD officers pulled over a vehicle after a traffic violation. One passenger, who was carrying a gun, jumped out of the vehicle and ran. He was picked up by another vehicle that then sped off. Police gave suit, and as the second car sped away, it hit into the Mazda. The car then continued driving without stopping to render aid or identify him/herself at the scene of the crash, which is a crime in California.

Shortly after the crash, police were able to catch and apprehend three people involved in the incident, including the original passenger carrying the gun. The injured family was transported to the hospital for treatment, though the injuries are thankfully believed to be non-life-threatening. While the individuals that caused this accident will likely be facing criminal charges, they are also civilly liable to the victims they injured as a result of their choice to flee from the police and drive recklessly.

Ventura House Fires Destroy Homes and Injure Four

November 6, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A multi-house fire in Ventura, California, caused injures to four people and destroyed two homes. According to KEYT 3 News, the fire occurred at just before 1:00 a.m. The Ventura fire department received several calls about the house fires in Cabrillo Village in East Ventura, even Oxnard residents could see the smoke.

By the time firefighters arrived, two homes were largely consumed, and a third home had caught fire. Several cars near the homes also caught fire. Because the blaze was so large, firefighters had to use large diameter hoses which are usually used in commercial structure fires.

The four victims of the fire were in the home that initially caught fire. The victims were immediately taken to the hospital—two victims were in critical condition, and the other two had moderate injuries. In addition to those injured, 15 people were displaced as a result of the fire. At this point, firefighters are not sure how the fire started and the fire will remain under investigation by the Ventura Fire department.

Woman Helicoptered to Hospital After Southern California Amtrak Accident

November 1, 2018 | by Robert Walch

An Amtrak train accident in Chatsworth, Los Angeles occurred on October 18, 2018 when a woman was struck by the train. The train was on its way from San Diego to San Luis Obispo when the accident occurred.

According to ABC 7 News, the woman was on the tracks when she was hit by the Amtrak passenger train near a tunnel along the 10300 block of N. Shadow Oaks Drive. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and the woman was “hoisted by a helicopter and transported to a hospital in unknown condition.”

At the time of this Los Angeles train accident, there were 107 people aboard the train. Train officials reported that there were no injuries to the passengers on the train. The accident caused Ventura County trains to experience significant delays.

Simi Valley Crossing Guard Hit BY SUV

October 29, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A local crossing guard was hit by an SUV while standing in a crosswalk outside Madera Elementary School in a Simi Valley pedestrian accident. Just moments before the crossing guard was hit, a female pedestrian had been crossing the street. The 57-year-old crossing guard, Bob Belanger, pushed the woman out of the way to safety, taking the hit from the vehicle himself.

FOX40 reported that Mr. Belanger has been working as a crossing guard for the past three years. The accident happened around 7:30 a.m., so there were many parents dropping their kids off at school. Police responded to the incident and closed the roads around the school. Because the driver of the SUV stopped at the scene, police are not treating this incident as a hit-and-run accident.

It does not appear the driver, who was also in his 50s, was intoxicated at the time of the collision, but police are still investigating the cause. Mr. Belanger was rushed to the hospital with possible life-threatening injuries. The woman pushed out of the way was not injured thanks to Mr. Belanger’s heroic act. We wish Mr. Belanger a speedy recovery.

Placentia Car Accident Sends 2 Cars into Goodwill Store, Injuring 6

October 26, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A multiple vehicle accident at a Placentia strip mall left at least 6 people injured, including one shopper and five people who were inside the vehicles involved. The accident occurred when two vehicles collided and crashed into a Goodwill store.

According to ABC 7 News, police believe the two vehicles initially collided in the parking lot in front of the store. The force of the collision then sent the vehicles slamming through the wall of the store. Video of the scene showed a tan SUV entirely in the store, and a white SUV with the front end inside the store.

An 88-year-old female driver of one vehicle involved in the incident was taken to a local hospital for her injuries. Police stated that all other victims involved in this multi-car accident suffered only minor injuries.

Private Charter Bus Accident in San Fernando Valley Leaves Dozens Injured

October 22, 2018 | by Robert Walch

KTLA News reported that a “multivehicle collision on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley sent dozens of people to the hospital.” The large crash occurred around 1 p.m., on October 14, 2018. Apparently, a large private charter bus traveling northbound on the 405 Freeway crashed into several vehicles.

After the initial hits, the bus crashed through the concrete center divider and into oncoming traffic. The bus hit several more vehicles on the southbound side of the freeway. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and evaluated 40 people. 25 people involved in the accident were transported to the hospital by ambulance because of their injuries—5 of those victims were considered to be seriously injured.

The bus was a private charter bus carrying 37 people from a church event. Due to the large number of injuries and heavy traffic caused by the accident, even ambulances struggled to get to the scene. Footage of the accident showed debris from the center divider all along the freeway, as well as the damaged cars, which closed the freeway for hours. At this time, officials are not certain what caused the bus to collide with the other cars in the first place. Continue Reading