Wrongful Death

Andre Gonzalez, 22, was killed in an Orange County car accident after his vehicle went out of control and crashed. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal car accident occurred early morning on April 23, 2012. California Highway Patrol officials say Gonzalez, who was driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser, failed to negotiate a curve on the 133 just north of the 73 Freeway. The PT Cruiser slid to the left and into the median where it overturned several times before coming to rest on its side. Gonzalez was ejected from the vehicle and was fatally injured. Officials are investigating the cause of this accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Andre Gonzalez for their tremendous and untimely loss. Apparently, Gonzalez was set to graduate in May with a degree in kinesiology. He was also the captain of the 2010-11 wrestling squad. He has been described by coaches as a hard-working athlete and a man of character. What a tragic loss! Please keep Gonzalez’s grieving family members in your thoughts and prayers.

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Teresa Rodriguez, 45, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident when the vehicle in which she was a passenger stalled and was struck by another car on the freeway. According to a news report in The Daily Breeze, the fatal car crash occurred on the northbound Glendale Freeway near Mountain Street in Glendale, the afternoon of April 18, 2012. Officials say Beatrice Rodriguez, 71, attempted to steer her 1997 Honda to the right lanes when she experienced engine problems. The car stalled. Even though the disabled vehicle had emergency lights on, a Toyota traveling approximately 65 to 70 mph slammed into the back of the Honda. Teresa Rodriguez was fatally injured, a 16-year-old girl in the front seat suffered major injuries and Beatrice Rodriguez sustained minor injuries. The male driver of the Toyota and his passenger were not hurt.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Teresa Rodriguez. My heart also goes out to the injured victims of this tragic car accident. I wish them all the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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Larry Schellhase, 68, died from injuries sustained in a Redondo Beach bicycle accident that occurred on April 12, 2012. According to a news report in the Daily Breeze, Schellhase, an experienced bicyclist, was riding with his wife Catherine and other friends on Catalina Avenue near Emerald Street. Police say Schellhase may have lost control of his bike because he struck debris on the roadway, possibly brackets used to secure tenting over buildings during fumigation.

The victim went over the handlebars of his bicycle before crashing to the ground. He suffered major head and neck injuries despite wearing a helmet. Investigators are still looking into what exactly happened that afternoon. Police officers who were at the scene recovered the brackets as evidence. Schellhase died three days after the incident, on April 15. The investigation is ongoing.

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Edward Estrada, 26, was killed in a Torrance car accident when his vehicle crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer. According to a news report in The Daily Breeze, the fatal truck accident occurred on Crenshaw Boulevard during the early morning hours of April 16, 2012. Officials say the car was traveling north when the truck pulled out from a private driveway. Estrada was fatally injured in the collision with the big rig. His 23-year-old female passenger was listed in serious condition. It is not clear at this time if the truck driver will face charges.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Edward Estrada, who was killed in this tragic Los Angeles truck accident. My thoughts and prayers are also with the injured passenger. I wish her the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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As California natives, we have all accepted the fact that living in California means you must drive a car and that you must drive a car in traffic.  There are few alternatives and public transportation is not always efficient.  Driving a car daily has its risks as you may know.  During your drive to work, it is not uncommon to pass by car accidents on a daily basis.

Days that are popular for celebration may cause increased risk to drivers.  As more people add extra miles to their usual driving habits there is increased risk, especially if there is alcohol consumption.

A recent study conducted by scientist Donald Redelmeier at the University of Toronto found that stressful days such as Tax Day could be a dangerous day for drivers.  The study used the NHTSA's traffic accident data and found that 6,783 fatal accidents occurred in the past 30 years on tax day.  An average of 226 people die each year on the filing deadline for taxes.

Tax day is not the only deadly day for drivers in the United States.  Some of the other dangerous days of the year include the following. Read the rest »

Susanna De La Riva, 21, of Santa Ana was fatally injured in a Tustin car accident after two vehicles collided near a freeway off-ramp, the morning of April 13, 2012. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the car crash occurred at the Tustin Ranch exit of the I-5 in Tustin. Police say De La Riva exited the southbound 5 Freeway and was turning left onto Tustin Ranch Road when her vehicle was struck by an SUV traveling south on Tustin Ranch. The SUV broadsided De La Riva’s sedan hitting the vehicle on the driver’s side door. De La Riva died at the scene and the driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries. Police are still looking into who had the right of way at the intersection. No arrests or citations were reported. Anyone who witnessed this fatal crash is asked to contact Tustin police at 714-573-3200.

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Rosalinda “Rosie” Manzanares, 26, was fatally injured in a Whittier car accident after her bicycle was hit by an elderly driver in a parking lot. According to a report in the Whittier Daily News, Manzanares was riding her bicycle the afternoon of April 4, 2012 in the parking lot behind Celebrity Burgers at 11270 Whittier Boulevard. The elderly female driver identified as 78-year-old Angelica Cuevas was backing her vehicle from a parking stall at a beauty salon when Manzanares rode by. Cuevas, when she was halfway out of the parking stall, for an unknown reason, rapidly accelerated. Manzanares, who was directly behind Cuevas’s Toyota was hit and became pinned under the vehicle. Manzanares was pronounced dead at the scene. Cuevas has not been arrested pending an official investigation.

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

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Reginal Daniel Futch Jr., 44, was killed in a Mission Viejo motorcycle accident after his Harley-Davidson went out of control and struck a median, the night of April 1, 2012. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal motorcycle crash occurred along Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo. Officials say Futch was traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control, struck the median and was thrown from his vehicle. Officials are still investigating the cause of this motorcycle collision.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Reginal Daniel Futch Jr. following this tragic accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Ashley Sandau, 24, of Canyon Country, was fatally injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a vehicle struck her while she was crossing the street. According to a news report in The Echo Park Patch, the crash occurred in the 2800 block of Rowena Avenue near West Silver Lake Drive in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, the night of March 30, 2012. Police say Sandau was trying to cross the roadway outside a crosswalk when she was hit and that poor visibility may have also caused the collision. An investigation is ongoing.

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

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Elba Elizabeth Escobar, 55, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after her lunch truck collided with a car, which officials say made a left turn in front of her. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal car accident occurred the afternoon of March 20, 2012 at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Union Avenue in the Pico-Union neighborhood. Police say Escobar along with another family member were eastbound on Washington at the time of the incident.

A Mercedes traveling in the opposite direction, attempted a left onto Union and hit the lunch truck. Escobar was trapped inside the overturned truck. She was extricated and transported to an area hospital where she died. Escobar’s passenger and the driver of the Mercedes were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of the collision. Officials suspect that one of the drivers ran a red light. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in this car accident.

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