Personal InjuryAuto Theft and "Sideshows" Endanger Oakland Drivers and Residents
Car accidents happen everyday on the congested streets of California's cities. Oakland, California, is no exception and saw 32 fatal auto-related accidents in 2008. Nearly a hundred people were involved in these accidents, and in 15, drunk and reckless driving played a crucial role.
Oakland was #8 on city-data's 2006 list of top cities where automobile theft is a danger. This high rate of car theft is an issue because many Oakland car accidents have involved reckless driving in stolen vehicles.
At the brink of the 2010 new year, two tragic and fatal car accidents occurred in Oakland. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the first involved a 17-year-old boy and 4 other young, male passengers in a stolen Camry. Police officers spotted the Camry speeding southwest on 62nd and attempted to flag the car down, but were unable to stop the vehicle before it slammed into a Saturn sedan.
The cars "pingponged" off each other and destroyed a nearby fence as well as a Ford Escort parked along the curb. One woman in the Saturn, age 66, died, and six people total were injured and went to the hospital. The driver of the Camry is unknown, though the operation of the vehicle was described as "extreme," speeding at about 85mph in a residential area, according to witnesses.
The second accident involved three young men in a white Jeep who hit a blue Acura transporting a family of three. The Jeep was seen swerving recklessly before the impact and witnesses described the driving as "sideshow-type activity". Sideshows are acts of reckless driving that have become popular in Oakland and the bay area and have caused numerous Oakland fatal accidents in the last few years. Sideshow activity includes swerving in and out of lanes, forming trains of cars in conga lines, and getting on top of the car while it is still moving.
All six passengers from both vehicles sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. A liquor bottle was found in the Jeep after the crash, suggesting that the driver was intoxicated.
For traffic-ridden streets, reckless and drunk driving are a huge concern for drivers and Oakland car collision attorneys. The likelihood of fatal accidents increases when drivers do not respect their vehicles, the road, or other drivers by drinking and driving or merely driving irresponsibly.
The high number of vehicles stolen in Oakland is a related issue. Auto-theft is important not only because it is a serious crime, but because it seems to promote brazen and irresponsible driving that often leads to "sideshows" and fatal auto accidents.
Hopefully these tragedies will inspire Oakland drivers to be more thoughtful and safe for the rest of 2010.
For more information, read "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Personal Injury Claim" by California personal injury attorney John Bisnar. The book is free to accident victims -- just go to www.BestAttorneyBooks.com to get a copy sent to you, or you can buy one at www.Amazon.com. Please see other BISNAR | CHASE California car accident lawyers.
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