Jonathan Medina, 13, and his brother, Damian Medina, 11, were killed in a car accident in Santa Fe Springs after the vehicle in which they were passengers went out of control and crashed into a light pole. According to an NBC Los Angeles news report, the fatal Santa Fe Springs car crash occurred the evening of Dec. 21, 2012 on Los Nietos Road just east of Norwalk Boulevard.
The brothers were in a car driven by their father, 33-year-old Valentin Medina. Their Honda Civic lost control, crashed into oncoming traffic and hit the pole. The impact sheared the vehicle in half. Both boys died at the scene and their father was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Police say excessive speed was likely a factor in the Santa Fe Springs car crash. One witness told officials that a second car cut off the Civic before it crashed. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses to verify the presence of the second car. No description of the other vehicle and its driver is available yet. Witnesses have stated the two cars were traveling at a high rate of speed. Officials are still looking into whether the vehicles were racing each other.
I offer my deepest condolences to the Medina family for their tremendous loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It’s always difficult to lose a loved one but to lose both children in this way before Christmas is tragic.
Crash Statistics for Santa Fe Springs
There were two fatalities and 322 injuries involving car accidents in Santa Fe Springs, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2010 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). During the same year, 530 fatalities and 50,513 injuries were reported due to car crashes in Los Angeles County.
Protecting Victims’ Rights
Based on this news account, police say excessive speed was a factor in this Santa Fe Springs car crash. It also appears that the driver who may have cut off the Honda Civic did not stop at the scene. This may have been a non-contact hit-and-run crash where the other driver caused the crash without striking a vehicle and then fled the scene. California law requires anyone involved in an injury or fatal collision to remain at the scene of the crash until authorities arrive. I trust authorities are able to quickly locate the other driver in this case.
In such types of accidents, families of deceased victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.
SLS Consulting