long beach

A female driver was fatally injured in a Long Beach car accident involving two vehicles. According to a news article in The Long Beach Press Telegram, the fatal car accident occurred the morning of May 14, 2012 at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Police say the victim was driving an SUV eastbound on Pacific Coast Highway and tried to make a northbound left turn on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The SUV collided with semi-tractor trailer that was going west on PCH. The driver and a male passenger were ejected from the SUV. The driver died while the passenger suffered minor injuries. A second passenger in the SUV also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver was uninjured.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family members and friends of this deceased car accident victim, who are mourning the loss of their loved one. My heart also goes out to the injured victims of this collision. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

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At least three people and a dog were injured in a dog bite incident in Long Beach. According to a news report in The Press-Telegram, the dog attack occurred the evening of May 12, 2012 in the 200 block of East Barclay Street near the 710 Freeway. Police say a woman was walking her pit bull when two other pit bulls attacked. The woman and her dog were bitten as were two Good Samaritans who tried to help the woman. Police officers who arrived at the scene tried to incapacitate and capture one of the dogs with a Taser.

The dog, which bit the three victims and the dog, ran away, but was later fatally shot in the 300 block of East Coolidge Street. Officials say the dog was shot because it was a high risk to the public. The second dog has been quarantined. Police are looking into whether the owner should be cited. The woman who was injured suffered numerous dog bites. She had to undergo surgery, but her wounds are not believed to be life threatening. The good Samaritans also suffered multiple bite wounds.

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A male pedestrian was killed in a bus accident after a Long Beach Transit Bus struck him, the night of March 6, 2012. According to a news report in The Press-Telegram, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred when the man stepped into the westbound lanes of the Second Street Bridge or Davies Bridge. The victim, who was about 50 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Officials say the collision occurred just west of the bridge on the down slope. The passenger bus struck the pedestrian in the right front area of the bus. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of this deceased victim. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.

Long Beach Pedestrian Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were nine fatalities and 211 injuries involving Long Beach pedestrian accidents. In Los Angeles County as a whole, pedestrian accidents claimed 179 lives and injured 4,918 people, during the same year.

Laws Relating to Pedestrians

Based on this news report, it is not clear exactly where the man was walking at the time of the collision. Was he in a marked or unmarked crosswalk? Motorists are required under California law to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks.

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” The same section also states: “This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.”

Liability Issues

In such cases, families of deceased victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Long Beach personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. If the bus driver is determined to have been negligent, both the driver and his or her employer can be held liable for the victim’s wrongful death. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to accident victims or their families.

Two women suffered serious injuries in a Long Beach car accident, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver, the night of October 14, 2011. According to a City News Service report, the pedestrian collision occurred on Pacific Coast Highway, near Loma Avenue, when a dark-colored Lexus struck them. One of the women, who was in her 20s, was listed in stable condition with multiple injuries, while the other woman, who was in her 30s, was listed in critical condition. Officials say the driver of the Lexus fled the scene of the crash. The vehicle is said to have sustained windshield damage during the accident. Anyone with information about the suspect or the vehicle is asked to contact Long Beach police at 562-435-6711.

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Kathleen Blair, 41, of San Pedro was killed in a Long Beach car accident after the motorcycle on which she was a passenger, was struck by a vehicle. According to a City News Service report, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred in the southbound lanes of the 710 Freeway at Willow Street, the afternoon of September 26, 2011. Blair was a passenger on a 2004 Harley Davidson driven by 46-year-old Darrin E. Metzger. Officials say Metzger was riding the motorcycle at a high rate of speed and making unsafe lane changes. The collision apparently occurred as Metzger straddled the number one and two lanes in an attempt to pass a Nissan Murano and a big rig. The motorcycle struck the Murano. Both Metzger and Blair were ejected on impact. Blair was run over by the big rig. An investigation is ongoing.

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A woman sustained major injuries in a Long Beach car accident after her vehicle was struck by a semi-trailer. According to a news report in The Press-Telegram, the major injury collision occurred the night of August 24, 2011 near the 405 Freeway transition to the southbound 710 Freeway. California Highway Patrol officials say that the truck that was transitioning from the 405 to the 710 overturned on to the top of a Honda car. The woman, who was the driver of the Honda, suffered major injuries while the truck driver escaped with minor injuries. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of this accident. The driver of the Honda was extricated from her vehicle and transported to an area hospital. An investigation is ongoing.

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