Car Accidents

Four people were injured in an Orange County car accident after an elderly driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a doughnut shop. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred at 3744 E. Chapman Ave. in Orange on January 30, 2012. Police say the woman, who is in her 90s, accidentally stepped on the gas pedal of her Cadillac Northstar instead of the brake and accelerated. The Cadillac crashed into the patio of the doughnut shop, DK's Donuts, and struck three men. The men and the elderly driver were transported to area hospitals with unknown injuries.

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A police officer and three other people were sent to the hospital following a Riverside car accident involving three vehicles, the night of January 22, 2012. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the car crash occurred at the intersection of North Farrell Drive and East Vista Chino in Palm Springs. Officials have not released any information regarding how the collision occurred. The four injured victims of this Riverside crash sustained non-life-threatening injuries. It is not yet clear if any of the drivers will be cited or if the patrol car had its emergency lights on.

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Zoe Saldana, the actress from the movie "Avatar," stopped to help an elderly woman who was injured in a Culver City car accident. According to a news report in The Culver City Patch, the collision occurred at the intersection of Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue, the morning of January 18, 2012. The 33-year-old actress who happened to be first on the scene, called 911 and stayed with the woman until paramedics arrived.

Culver City police officials say the incident involved two cars. One driver was traveling east on Culver while the other was traveling north on Overland. The collision apparently occurred as the result of one of the drivers making an unsafe left turn. It is not clear if anyone else of was injured. The woman was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

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Seven people were injured in a San Diego car accident involving multiple vehicles. According to a news report in U-T San Diego, the multi-vehicle collision occurred on the eastbound Interstate 8 in Alpine, the night of January 7, 2012. California Highway Patrol Officials say a wooden table fell off a pickup causing an SUV and a sedan to collide. Another two vehicles collided a minute later and one witness stated that a tire on one vehicle exploded as well. The injuries suffered by the seven victims appear to have been non-life-threatening. It is not clear if anyone will be cited for the pile-up. An investigation is ongoing.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall for 2011 and 2012 model year Ford F-Series pickup trucks, which apparently have defective automatic transmission interlocks. NHTSA officials say the faulty transmission interlocks can be found in about 16,091 pickup trucks. Drivers can shift the trucks from "park" into rear without stepping on the brakes increasing the risk of car accidents or even injury to nearby pedestrians.

These auto defects are also in violation of federal safety standards. The recall affects the 2011 model year Ford F-150 pickup trucks and 2012 model year Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, and heavy duty F-550 trucks, all manufactured last September. Ford will start notifying owners to bring their recalled trucks to dealerships. The affected brake shift interlock switches will be inspected and replaced at no cost to consumers.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall for certain Nissan 2010 and 2011 model year sedans because of vehicle defects that could potentially cause the vehicles to stall or crash. According to Consumer Reports, about 33,800 cars are involved in this recall. NHTSA reports state that these vehicles may have faulty battery terminals that cause an unexpected engine stall while the cars are in motion. Also, the defect may prevent an engine restart, increasing the risk of a car accident.

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Ford Motor Company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have issued an auto defect recall for 2010-2011 model year Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans because of defective wheel studs. According to Consumer Reports, the vehicles involved in this recall may have defective wheel studs that can break and cause the wheels to separate from the cars, increasing the likelihood of a car crash. This problem could involve as many as 128,615 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan cars that are equipped with 17-inch steel wheels.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall involving approximately 7,365 Nissan Rogue vehicles due to power steering issues. According to a report in Consumer News, the vehicle recall involves Rogue crossover vehicles manufactured from August 2010 to October 2010. The report states that the electric power steering circuit board was installed improperly. This manufacturing defect puts an additional strain on the circuit board, and could result in a sudden loss of power steering, if the board breaks.

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Domingo Nava, 61, was killed in a Fontana car accident after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street, the afternoon of December 3, 2011. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred near the intersection of Sierra Avenue and Reed Street in Fontana. Officials say Nava was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Officials are still looking into whether Nava was in a crosswalk at the time of the collision. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Domingo Nava for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Mike McCoy, 42, and Patrick Ryan, 22, were killed in a Riverside car accident after their vehicles collided head-on, the morning of November 27, 2011. According to a report in The Southwest Riverside News Network, the fatal accident occurred on Winchester Road near 9th Street in Winchester. California Highway Patrol officials say Ryan, who was driving a Toyota Scion south on State Route 79 swerved into the opposing lane of traffic and hit a Toyota Camry driven by McCoy. Both Ryan and McCoy were pronounced dead at the scene of a crash. A female passenger in the Camry was taken to an area hospital with severe injuries.

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