Tuesday, June 28, 2011

June 23 Livingston accident kills one

On June 23 a man was killed in a two-vehicle accident at Central and Liberty Avenues in Livingston. Reportedly the victim, a Merced resident, was driving east on Liberty Avenue approaching Central Avenue. Meanwhile Reginald Bronson was driving south on Central Avenue approaching Liberty Avenue. The victim failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection and drove right into the path of Bronson's Ford. The front of the Ford hit the driver's side of the victim's Honda. The victim was airlifted to a Modesto hospital where he later died.

June 23 ATV accident kills Oakdale teen

On June 23 Kaitlynn Louis of Oakdale was killed when the ATV she was riding was hit by a vehicle just east of Modesto. Reportedly Louis was riding along a canal bank that ran parallel to McGee Avenue when she turned onto Rice Road. Shortly after turning onto Rice she was hit by a westbound Chevrolet driven by James Rebiero. Louis was then thrown from the ATV and later taken to Memorial Medical Center where she later died. Ribiero suffered minor injuries.

June 27 Turlock accident kills one and injures four

On June 27 a four-year-old boy was killed and four other people were injured in an accident at Bradbury and South Walnut Roads in Turlock. Reportedly Melissa Moody was eastbound on Bradbury Road in her Mini Cooper when she hit a vehicle driven by Daniel Valle waiting to turn left. Moody's vehicle then spun into oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a vehicle driven by Alfredo Correa. Moody's four-year-old was killed as a result of the accident. Moody's 2-year-old suffered major injuries and was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center. Melissa Moody was airlifted to Memorial Medical center with major injuries. Correa and a passenger in his vehicle, Abel Cortez, were both taken to Doctors hospital with minor injuries. Valle escaped the the accident uninjured.

Highway 99 fatal motorcycle accident

John Lane of Bakersfield was killed in a motorcycle accident on Highway 99 in Tulare County. Reportedly Lane was riding north on Highway 99 near Avenue 384 when his Harley Davidson drifted into the median. The motorcycle then hit the guardrail. Lane was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

June 24 Fresno motor scooter accident leaves teen dead

On June 24 Brandon Barnes was seriously injured when he was hit by a car while riding his motor scooter in Fresno. Reportedly 14-year-old Barnes was attempting to cross Clovis Avenue near Gettysburg Avenue when he was hit by a car. The accident left him brain dead and he died three days later as a result of his injuries.

June 24 Tulare big rig accident

On June 24 Anthony Hoffert of Chino was seriously injured after his vehicle was hit by an 18-wheeler driven by Aaron Albrecht of Fresno. Reportedly Hoffert reached the intersection of Avenue 368 and Road 80 in north Tulare and stopped. He then proceeded into the intersection right into the path of the 18-wheeler. Albrecht applied his brakes and attempted to swerve, but his trailer hit Hoffert's car on the driver's side. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. Albrecht managed to escape uninjured, but Hoffert was not as fortunate. Hoffert was taken to Tulare Regional Medical Center to be treated for major injuries.

June 26 Tulare County accident

On June 26 there was an accident on Avenue 416 in Tulare County that left one man seriously injured. Reportedly Jose Caloca was driving east on Avenue 416 near Eddy Road when he lost control of his pickup truck. The truck then went across the westbound lanes and hit a light pole. Caloca suffered an injury to his left thigh bone as well as facial cuts. He was air lifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno for treatment.

June 25 fatal accident near Porterville

On June 25 Evani Reyes-Morales was killed in an accident on Avenue 95 near Road 224 near Porterville in Tulare County. Reportedly Reyes-Morales crashed his Mitsubishi Eclipse into a tree in an olive grove. There were five passengers in the Eclipse at the time and all five escaped uninjured. The exact cause of the accident is unknown at this time.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Sinkhole death in Kern County

June 24, 2011-Yesterday's sinkhole death in Kern County has triggered an investigation by the State of California.  An oilfield worker apparently slipped into a sinkhole filled with petroleum products and expired.

Although few facts are as yet publicly known, key issues will involve whether any safety regulations were violated, whether companies other than the decedent's employer have any fault, etc.  What looks like a routine workers compensation claim may develop into a personal injury claim depending on the outcome of these issues.  Please call if you would like our expert engineer to take an early look.  Attorney John Rozier in Visalia, ca.  559-713-0159.

Friday, June 10, 2011

June 9 Los Banos motorcycle accident

On June 9 Andrew Maloney was seriously injured when he crashed his motorcycle on Highway 165 in Los Banos. Reportedly Maloney was riding south on Highway 165 near Pioneer Road when Amie Chick, who was driving north on Highway 165, turned left in front of his motorcycle. Maloney was unable to stop in time and rammed into the side of Chick's Jeep. Maloney was critically injured as a result of the accident. Chick was talking on her phone at the time of the accident and was arrested for driving under the influence. She was later found to be under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.

June 9 wrongful death accident in Los Banos

On June 9 a woman was killed when her car drifted into oncoming traffic in Los Banos. Reportedly the woman was driving her Ford Escort east on H Street near Colorado Avenue when the car drifted into the westbound lane. Meanwhile, Roberta Plazola was driving westbound on H Street. Plazola saw the Escort coming towards her but was unable to stop in time. Plazola was taken to Memorial Hospital in Los Banos to be treated for moderate injuries. The driver of the Escort, however, died as a result of the accident.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

June 4 deadly forklift versus SUV accident in Merced County

On June 4 a man died after he drove his Chevy Tahoe into a forklift on Van Clief Road near Stevinson in Merced County. According to reports the Tahoe was southbound on Van Clief Road near First Avenue when it came upon the forklift. The forklift was facing west in the southbound lane that the Tahoe was in while it was loading things into a flatbed truck that was parked on the west shoulder of the road. By the time the driver of the Tahoe saw the forklift it was too late for him to avoid hitting it. The Tahoe hit the forklift and then turned over. The driver of the Tahoe was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. He was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene of the accident. A teenage passenger in the Tahoe was treated at a local hospital for a broken femur. The driver of the forklift escaped the accident uninjured.

June 4 fatal accident in Modesto

On June 4 a Modesto woman died in a wrongful death accident on West Briggsmore Avenue near Tully Road in Modesto. According to reports her vehicle was headed east on West Briggsmore when she lost control of the vehicle, went off the south side of the road, and hit some small trees. This accident is still under investigation, but alcohol is believed to have been a factor.

May 30 accident in Fresno kills 81-year-old man

On May 30 an 81-year-old man died when his car was broadsided by Andy Ramirez, age 80,  near the intersection of Blythe and Olive Avenues in Fresno. According to reports the 81-year-old man was northbound on Blythe Avenue when he did not stop at the stop sign at the Olive Avenue intersection.  Meanwhile, Ramirez was eastbound on Olive. Ramirez attempted to stop when he saw the other vehicle coming through the intersection but was not able to stop in time. Ramirez’s pickup truck subsequently broadsided the 81-year-old man’s Honda Civic. The 81-year-old was taken to Community Regional Medical Center to be treated for major injuries. He later died there at the hospital. Ramirez was taken to Veteran’s Affairs Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

June 5 Tulare County accident near Exeter injures 5

On June 5 five people were injured in an accident at the intersection of Visalia and Anderson Roads near Exeter in Tulare County. According to reports Duane Deeds was westbound on Visalia Road in his Chevy pickup as he approached the Anderson Road intersection. Deeds began to slow down as he approached the stop sign at the intersection. All the while, Kimberly Sanchez was behind Deeds in her Buick Park Avenue and was “attending to her iced tea drink that kept falling over” when she did not notice him slowing down and hit the back of Deed’s vehicle at approximately 40 mph. Sanchez and her passenger, 17-year-old Jennifer Robinson, suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center for treatment. Deeds also suffered moderate injuries. The passengers in Deeds’ vehicle, Regina Deeds and Noah Reeds, suffered minor injuries and were also treated at Kaweah Delta.

June 5 Highway 63 wrongful death pedestrian accident

On June 5 a man died after being hit by a car on Highway 63 near Avenue 336 near Visalia. According to reports Jose Luis Garcia was southbound on Highway 63 when a man crossed in front of his vehicle. Apparently the man was attempting to cross the highway in the rain just north of Avenue 336. Garcia was unable to stop his ca in time. The pedestrian was died at the scene of the accident.

June 5 rollover in Tulare County impales the leg of a teen

On June 5 Brianne Rodriguez’s leg was seriously injured when she was in a car that was involved in a rollover accident on Avenue 184 near Road 220 in Tulare County. According to reports Rodriguez was a passenger in a Toyota Tacoma driven by 18-year-old Alejandro Sepeda when Sepeda swerved his truck to avoid hitting a dog. The truck then rolled, went down an embankment, and landed on a tree. Subsequently, the tree broke through the back window of the truck and a branch impaled Rodriguez’s leg. Rodriguez was treated at Kaweah Delta Medical center in Visalia. Sepeda suffered minor injuries and was also treated at Kaweah Delta. Brittany Rodriguez and Priscilla Chavez were also riding as passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. They came away with minor and moderate injuries respectively.

June 5 accident in Porterville leaves four injured

On June 5 four people were injured in a crash on Henderson Avenue in Porterville. According to reports Pablo Alvarez was westbound on Henderson Avenue when he failed to stop at a red light at the Newcomb Street intersection. Alvarez’s car then hit the vehicle driven by Zeina Rocha. Alvarez and Rocha along with their respective passengers Jorge Martinez and Christian Reyes were taken to Sierra View District Hospital where they were treated for injuries. Alvarez, Rocha, and Reyes then were all transferred to hospitals in Fresno with serious injuries. Martinez was treated and released from Sierra View District Hospital. Alvarez was believed to be driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

June 6 fatal train accident in Goshen


On June 6 a woman died after her car was hit by a train on Road 60 in Goshen in Tulare County. According to reports the woman was driving her Honda Accord southbound on Road 60 just north of Avenue 308 when she apparently did not see the oncoming train. Her car was hit on the passenger side and was pushed about 100 yards. Unfortunately, neither the driver nor her 6-year-old daughter were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. The woman was pinned in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.The 6-year-old, however, survived and was treated for moderate injuries at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.