Last Thursday, a construction worker was killed in Chula Vista when a wall fell crushing him to death. The wall was to a building being demolished to make room for Unified Port of San Diego convention and hotel area.
On Sunday, the worker was identified as Austin Sawicki of Escondido.
We are saddened to hear of Mr. Sawicki’s passing and give our sympathy to his family.
An Encinitas boy who was struck by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle more than two weeks ago is now dead, as reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office. The 11-year-old boy, Robert Franklin Thompson, had been on life support since his May 6 accident at Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and passed away Friday at 3:30 p.m.
The boy had been on a motorized “pocket bike”, which resembles a small scooter but can go up to 15 mph. He had been crossing the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road, a private, gated road in Olivenhain, when this fatal San Diego area accident took place. Witnesses reported to San Diego police that the boy was coming out of a driveway and went directly into the path on the oncoming car. The sheriff’s report had no indication of excessive speed or alcohol being involved with the accident.
50-year-old Laurie Susan Whitlow was struck and killed in a severe car accident that took place on May 11, 2012, around 9:05 p.m. at 15000 block of Olde Highway 80, near Flinn Springs Road. According to San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, Whitlow was struck by a dark colored SUV-type vehicle driven by Anthony Wayne Olsen that was headed east as she tried to cross the road. The driver then fled the scene.
Whitlow was thrown from her wheelchair and into lanes of traffic. Whitlow suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the accident scene. Olsen was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.
Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious violation under California law. California Vehicle Code 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”
The family of a victim killed in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing would be well advised to seek the guidance of an experienced San Diego car accident lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and make sure that the family’s legal rights and best interests are protected.
The family could also file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver seeking compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.
Our law office sends sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
An unidentified bicyclist was killed and three others suffered serious injuries in a fatal hit-and-run bicycle crash that occurred on May 11, 2011 in Ventura County. According to the responding California Highway Patrol Officers, the driver of the Hummer struck four bicyclists in two separate locations around 6:51 p.m. Wednesday.
One bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The other three were immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The investigating officers are trying to determine whether the Hummer driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, distracted by cell phone or had any medical issue.
If found guilty of driving under these circumstances, then he may be held liable for the victim’s wrongful death and the injuries suffered by the other bicyclists.
Regardless of the reason, the victims’ family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced personal injury attorney in Ventura County to obtain compensation to cover medical bills, loss of future income, loss of love and companionship and other accident-related expenses. A personal injury attorney can help get the justice they deserve and would ensure that the driver of the Hummer is held responsible.
Our law office offers sincere condolences to all those injured in this tragedy.
An 11 year-old boy in Encinitas was hospitilized with serious injuries after being hit by a car while riding an electric pocket bike, according to authorities.
According to witnesses, the child rode into the path of a car from a driveway, onto the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after 4:30 p.m., as informed by Sgt. Randy Webb of San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. While the child’s name and medical condition have not been released, it is known that he was flown to Rady’s Children’s Hospital. There is no evidence supporting the idea that drugs or alcohol played a role in the San Diego bicycle accident.
Aurelia Arciniega, 47, was struck and killed in a fatal Los Angeles pedestrian accident that occurred on May 4, 2011, around 6 p.m. in the 6300 block of Florence Avenue. According to Coroner’s Office Assistant Chief Ed Winter, the pedestrian was struck by a motorist in the Bell Gardens neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Arciniega was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and was later pronounced dead. From the limited information available, it is quite evident that the negligent driving of the motorist leads to this fatal car accident. From the facts set forth in the news story, it appears that the motorist failed to notice the pedestrian crossing the intersection in a crosswalk and hit her. This leads us to question his alertness while driving. Was the driver using a cell phone? Was he driving under influence? Did he do enough to avoid the accident?
In any case, striking a pedestrian legally in a crosswalk is negligence per se under California law. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950(a), “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 pedestrian’s family members should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles to discuss their legal rights and options. An experienced lawyer can help the family obtain fair compensation to cover for funeral and burial costs, loss of future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other accident-related expenses.
Our law office offers sincere condolences to all those who knew Arciniega for their loss. If it is found that the driver was operating his care illegally, either because he was driving under the influence of alcohol or without a valid driver’s license, we hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The Los Angeles Police reported that a man lost his life when he was hit by a woman driver who accidentally accelerated in a 7-Eleven parking lot. The pedestrian accident at Reseda and Burbank Boulevards around 9 p.m. on Monday, May 3, 2010, when the man was walking into the store to do some shopping.
Valley Traffic Division investigators remained at the car crash scene on Tuesday morning, more than five hours after the fatality to determine the cause of the traffic accident. The woman was found not to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If that is the case, then the accident is most likely due to the pedestrian suddenly entering the path of the car, the driver being inattentive, or both.
We wish the family of the accident victim our prayers and condolences. There is nothing worse than losing a loved one. Drivers should always be careful when driving to look out for pedestrians, skateboarders, or other possible sudden impediments to their car’s path. Drivers should never assume that sudden danger will not prevent themselves.
Highland resident Benjamin Lobato Huante, 49, who was an entomologist working in San Diego County in Fallbrook on Wednesday, was killed after his car tumbled off of a cliff more than 100 feet, and died.
Huante had been setting traps for insects around the avocado trees in the area for the study had been in an all-terrain vehicle that crashed when he overcompensated and fell down a cliff around 11 a.m. San Diego County sheriff’s and coroner’s officials reported that Huarte died at the scene, as noted on the county coroner’s Web site.
The victim of the San Diego County auto accident worked for Integrated Growers Service of Escondido, as Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health said.
Alex Romero, 17, suffered fatal injuries in a Los Angeles bicycle accident that occurred on April 20, 2011, about 9 p.m. in the right lane of De Soto Avenue. According to Officer Rosario Herrera, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, Alex Romero was riding his bike on the far right lane of De Soto when a gray Toyota Corolla rear-ended his bicycle. Romero was pronounced dead at the accident scene.
The death of a young member of the family is devastating. If I were a member of his family, I would want to know how this accident took place. Who was at fault? Did the Toyota driver do enough to prevent the accident? Was he driving under influence of drugs or alcohol? If my daughter or brother had lost his life due to someone else’s negligence, I would go to any extent to ensure that the guilty were punished and that my family received maximum compensation for the loss of life—money that could be used to help family members grieve or fulfill something positive.
It would be wise for Romero’s family to seek counsel from an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer to learn about their legal right and options, even if they ultimately decide not to file a claim. As family members of the deceased, they might be able to obtain compensation to pay for funeral and burial costs, loss of future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other accident-related damages.
Our law office offers our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved Romero for their tragic loss.
A 90-year-old Chula Vista pedestrian was hit by a car nearby Broadway and Park Way in on April 1st at approximately 8 p.m. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, the man was taken off life-support on Saturday afternoon because of the deterioration of his medical status. The Chula Vista pedestrian suffered a head injury with internal bleeding.
The victim’s identity was not made public so that San Diego County officials could notify the family about the death.