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Archive for the ‘hit and run’ Category

Stockton: Drunk Driver Arrested in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Death

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

A 29-year-old mother was arraigned Wednesday on charges that she struck and killed a pedestrian in Stockton on Saturday and then fled the scene.

The woman, whose blood alcohol level was over the legal limit, had her four children in the car with her at the time.

• A mother who was driving drunk with her four kids in the car hit a pedestrian who was jaywalking and then reportedly fled the scene.

• The pedestrian died at the scene.

• The woman was charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence, and child abuse and endangerment.

The hit-and-run accident occurred at about 5:40 p.m., according to a report in the Stockton Record.

Police said 64-year-old John Michael Ryan was crossing March Lane several yards east of the intersection with March Lane when Lanesha Thomas struck him with her car. He died at the scene.

The news reports said Thomas fled the scene afterward, but there were no details about when or where officers apprehended her.

Stockton Police officer Pete Smith told KXTL News Ryan was jaywalking when he was hit. Smith called the accident “a tragedy.”

He said Thomas put herself and everybody on the road at risk. He added that Ryan had also put himself at risk by jaywalking on a busy street.

Thomas’ blood alcohol level was .11, three points over the legal limit, Smith said.

She was charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence and child abuse and endangerment, KCRA News reported.

After the arraignment, the families of both the driver and the victim met and expressed their sorrow for each other.

“It was a tragic accident, a lot of families are torn apart. It’s unfortunate,” the victim’s brother Jim Ryan told KXTL News.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

More than 4,000 pedestrians are killed every year — 11 every day — after being struck by motor vehicles, according to the latest National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics. An additional 59,000 are seriously injured.

The latest NHTSA figures show that:

69 percent of pedestrians killed in 2009 were males.
Almost three out of every four pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (72 percent).
The top four states for pedestrian fatalities are California, Florida, Texas, and New York. These four states make up 41 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide while only accounting for 5 percent of the total traffic fatalities across the country.
Nearly one-half (48 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — 70 percent occur at night (4 p.m. to 4 a.m.).

Alcohol is a major factor in pedestrian deaths, according to the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In 2009, 37 percent of fatally injured pedestrians 16 and older had blood alcohol concentrations at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Fifteen percent of drivers involved in pedestrian deaths had blood alcohol levels at or above the legal limit.

Stockton Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented pedestrian accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: Blackman Legal Group, California, California accident lawyer, California accident lawyers, Clifford Blackman, drunk driving, DUI crash, fatal DUI crash, fatal pedestrian accident, hit and run, pedestrian accident, pedestrian death, pedestrian fatality
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Ukiah: Police Seek Big-Rig in Fatal Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Police are looking for a big-rig that may have been involved in a fatal pedestrian accident Thursday morning in Ukiah.

• A pedestrian was found near death on a road near a Ukiah winery. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

• Police believe the man was struck by a big-rig that left the scene. The truck driver may or may not have known he hit someone.

• No witnesses have come forward. Police are urging anyone with information to call the CHP.

The deadly hit-and-run accident occurred at aroound 9 a.m., according to a report in the Ukiah Daily Journal.

California Highway Patrol officer Marion Holcomb said 26-year-old Kenneth Mark West, a homeless man who lived in the area between Ukiah and Willits, was found in the 2300 block of North State Street near Dunnewood Vineyards and Winery.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and was taken to Ukiah Valley Medical Center, according to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. He died at the hospital.

Police believe West was struck by a three-axle big-rig that left the area. The accident is being investigated as a hit-and-run, although it is possible that the truck driver did not know he hit someone, police said.

CHP Officer Randy England said police do not know if West was crossing the roadway or if he was struck in a traffic lane or on the shoulder. No witnesses had come forward Thursday.

“We’re asking for any witnesses to this collision to please contact our office,” England said. The number of the Ukiah area CHP office is (707) 467-4040.

Authorities said West’s death is part of an ongoing trend in the area. So far this year, seven people have died in Santa Rosa alone after being struck by vehicles. Four of them were homeless people.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

The latest NHTSA figures show that:

69 percent of pedestrians killed in 2009 were males.
Almost three out of every four pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (72 percent).
The top four states for pedestrian fatalities are California, Florida, Texas, and New York. These four states make up 41 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide while only accounting for 5 percent of the total traffic fatalities across the country.
Nearly one-half (48 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — 70 percent occur at night (4 p.m. to 4 a.m.).

Electric and hybrid vehicles are particularly dangerous to pedestrians, because they don’t make any noise and you can’t hear them coming. A government study found that the likelihood of crashes involving pedestrians was 40 percent higher for hybrid vehicles than for gas-powered vehicles.

In areas where the speed limit was 35 mph or lower — a speed at which hybrids operate on electric power — the likelihood of hitting a pedestrian was 50 percent higher for hybrids than for non-hybrids.

In 2011, Congress gave the Department of Transportation three years to develop a requirement for equipping hybrid vehicles with sounds to warn pedestrians.

Ukiah Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Tags: Blackman Legal Group, California, California accident lawyer, California accident lawyers, Clifford Blackman, fatal accident, fatal pedestrian accident, hit and run, pedestrian death, pedestrian fatality
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Police Nab VW Beetle Driver in Sacramento Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Crash

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

UPDATED October 26: Police have arrested a 22-year-old woman for a hit-and-run accident that took the life of a 64-year-old motorcylist Monday night on Interstate 80 in Sacramento.

• Two separate hit-and-run accidents occurred on I-80 within two days. Police caught and arrested both drivers who fled the scenes.

• One of the crashes was fatal. A 64-year-old motorcyclist was killed.

• The other crash inflicted moderate injuries. The driver in that crash was from out-of-state and was carrying a concealed, loaded semi-automatic weapon.

The fatal motorcycle accident occurred at about 8:50 p.m., according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.

A witnesses told the California Highway Patrol that a white, late-model Volkswagen Beetle was weaving in traffic on Interstate 80 — also called the Capital Freeway — at the time of the crash. The Beetle pulled between the witness’s car and a motorcycle ridden by North Highlands resident Robert Wilson.

The Beetle crashed into the right side of Wilson’s bike, the witness said. Wilson was thrown off of his motorcycle. He landed in the center lane of the three-lane highway just north of El Camino Real, where he was struck by a Mitsubishi Eclipse, CHP officer Lizz Dutton said.

Witnesses said the driver of the Mitsubishi and the driver of the VW Beetle both pulled over and stopped, but the Beetle fled the scene before police arrived.

The CHP later found the Beetle and attempted to question Sequoia Jones about the accident, but she invoked her rights and refused to provide a statement. She was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run, and vehicular manslaughter. Jones was booked into Sacramento County Jail, where bail was set at $500,000.

That arrest was one of two made in connection with separate hit-and-run accidents that occurred in Sacramento on Sunday and Monday.

Hit-and-Run Accident #2

On Sunday, police in Solano County arrested a Utah man in Davis for a felony hit-and-run accident that had occurred in Sacramento less than an hour earlier, according to a report in the Vacaville Reporter.

At about 1:15 p.m., CHP officer Bill Wesselman pulled over a gold Toyota Avalon as it exited westbound I-80 at Old Davis Road because the driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt. When Wesselman approached the car, he saw that it had extensive damage to the front, including the hubcap of another vehicle wedged into the front grill.

The driver — 32-year-old Ryan Durches of Orem, Utah — told Wesselman that the damage to his car was old and that he was passing through the area on his way to Santa Rosa. But it was obvious that the damage was fresh, CHP Sgt. Jason Hekker said. The hubcap that was stuck on the grill was from a Ford pickup truck.

Officers detained Durches while dispatchers checked for recent hit-and-run accidents in the area. They found a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol tucked into his waistband.

Dispatchers reported that a felony hit-and-run accident involving a gold Toyota Avalon with Utah plates — and a driver matching Durches’ description – had taken place in Northern Sacramento at 12:40 p.m. on westbound I-80. The Toyota had crashed into a Ford pickup truck, which rolled over on near Madison Avenue.

The Toyota fled the scene at a speed of over 100 mph, witnesses said. The driver of the truck suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital to be treated.

Durches was arrested on charges of felony hit-and-run, carrying a concealed loaded weapon, and possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle. He was booked into Solano County Jail and was later transferred to Sacramento.

Sacramento Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented hit-and-run accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, Blackman Legal Group, California accident lawyers, car accident lawyer, Clifford Blackman, fatal accident, fatal collision, fatal crash, fatal hit-and-run crash, highway crash, hit and run, motorcycle accident
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Homicide: Bus Driver Charged in Hell’s Angel Motorcycle Death on I-580

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Fatal motorcycle accident: A paratransit driver was charged with murder after he ran over a Hell’s Angel motorcyclist and then dragged the biker along Interstate 580 in San Leandro on Saturday.

• A paratransit van driver reportedly became angry at a group of Hell’s Angels motorcyclists on the freeway and deliberately swerved into their lane in order to hit at least one of them.

• He struck a motorcyclist and dragged the bike for more than a mile on the freeway. When he finally stopped, he tried to run away.

• The motorcyclist was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

• The van driver was arrested and charged with murder and three other felonies, including one count each of attempted murder and hit-and-run with death or injury.

The deadly road rage hit-and-run accident occurred at about 4 p.m., according to a CBS News report.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Oakland resident Eddie Hall intentionally crashed into 51-year-old motorcyclist George Lopez Jr. of Stockton while both were traveling eastbound on I-580 near the Grand Avenue on-ramp. Lopez, who was said to be a member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club was riding in a group with about seven other bikers.

San Leandro police Detective Anthony Morgan said Hall told police he was “upset at the time because of the driving behavior of others and the behavior of the motorcyclists.”

Morgan said Hall admitted he knew the motorcyclists were in the lane next to him and he intentionally swerved, knowing that his van would strike Lopez’s motorcycle. When the van hit the motorcycle, the bike was pinned under the van.

Hall continued driving on the freeway, dragging the motorcycle several miles. He finally pulled over just east of the 150th Avenue onramp, San Leandro police Sgt. Doug Calcagno said. When Hall stopped the van, he got out and tried to run away but police captured him moments later. There were no passengers in the van, Calagno said.

Alameda County Fire Department personnel responded to the scene. They assisted Lopez at the scene and then airlifted him via helicopter to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, according to a report in the Contra Costa Times. Lopez was pronounced dead at the hospital, San Leandro police Lt. Greg Lemmon said.

Police investigators interviewed at least four eyewitnesses after they took Hall into custody.

“The preliminary information they are providing was that it wasn’t an accident, it was an intentional ramming,” Lemmon said.

Authorities closed all eastbound lanes of the freeway from Grand Avenue to 150th Avenue so police could conduct a homicide investigation. The lanes were closed for at least six hours.

Hall was charged with murder and three other felonies, including one count each of attempted murder and hit-and-run with death or injury, according to the Oakland Tribune. He also was charged with attempted escape from a city facility because he tried to run away from the San Leandro police station when detectives were interviewing him after the crash.

“The door in our interview room was open briefly and he darted out and into our offices,” police Sgt. Mike Sobek said. ”But he was quickly captured.”

UPDATE | October 25, 2011: Hall appeared in court Tuesday. His next court appearance is slated November 9, when he is scheduled to be arraigned and enter a plea at the Hayward Hall of Justice. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

San Leandro Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

Tags: Blackman Legal Group, California accident lawyers, fatal accident, fatal crash, hit and run, motorcycle accident fatality, murder, wrongful death
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Drive-Thru Window: Hit-and-Run Driver Crashes Into Roseville DMV

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Police check out the gaping hole left by a hit-and-run student driver who crashed into the Roseville DMV. (Photo: CBS News)

A student driver slammed into the Roseville DMV Monday night, left a gaping hole in the building, and fled the scene. The hit-and-run crash forced the DMV to close the building until next week.

• A news channel received an email tip about a student driver crashing into the Roseville DMV.

• By the time the CHP arrived, the student and the car were gone.

• The crash left a huge hole in the building and the DMV had to close until next week.

• Authorities still have not found the student or the vehicle.

The car accident happened Monday night at the Harding Boulevard facility, according to the Roseville Press-Tribune.

The DMV office had to be closed for repairs.No one was injured but the story has captured national interest because, let’s face it, everybody hates waiting in line at the DMV — and this time a driver made the DMV wait.

Roseville police spokesperson Dee Dee Gunther said authorities didn’t know about the crash-and-dash until somebody emailed a tip to a local news channel.

Local police turned the case over to the California Highway Patrol because the DMV is a state building, Gunther said.

“By the time the (CHP) officer arrived at the scene, the vehicle was gone,” said CHP spokesman David Montejo.

Neither the driver nor the car have been found, but DMV officials said that the vehicle belonged to a private driving school and that a student was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

DMV spokesman Mike Marando told KCRA News the student driver is believed to be a teenage boy who was practicing in the parking lot and hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.

This wasn’t the first time a student driver has crashed into a DMV office. It has happened at least three other times in the past five years, Marando said.

The Roseville DMV is expected to remain closed until at least Monday. Contractors were at the site on Tuesday to assess the damage and estimate how long it would take to repair the 4-by-5-foot hole left by the crash.

Meanwhile, customers who had shown up for appointments sat outside of the DMV office on plastic chairs under the shade of a big oak tree. A very limited staff helped them in the 90-degree heat.

Ironically, driving tests were still being offered. Other DMV customers were redirected to offices in Rocklin, Carmichael and Folsom, Marando said.

Roseville Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, Blackman Legal Group, car accident lawyer, hit and run
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