Five-Car Collision In Orange Leaves One Dead

A five-car collision yesterday morning in the City of Orange has left one woman dead and several others injured.  The accident happened at about 11:00 a.m. at the intersection of Tustin Street and Taft avenue, not too far from The Village mall.  According to news reports, a female driver who ran a red light and triggered the accident died at the scene.  That motorist, 30-year-old Xuan Tran, was apparently traveling eastbound on Taft toward its dead end at Tustin, and for some unknown reason drove through the red light at a high rate of speed without even turning her vehicle.  Tran's car, a small Toyota, then struck a red pickup truck heading south on Tustin which in turn hit another vehicle heading the opposite direction.  Anyone who witnessed the collision is urged to contact the Orange police at 714-744-7444.

See the Orange County Register article and photograph HERE.

It would be easy to assign responsibility for the accident to Tran and simply leave it at that.  However, this accident calls for a detailed investigation into Tran's actions and activities in the hours and minutes that led up to the accident. There are a host of possibilities as to why this young woman would have driven straight into cross-traffic at a dead end street: medical issues caused her to lose consciousness, a mechanical failure caused a steering/braking failure, driver inattention, texting while driving, etc.  In all likelihood, the Orange Police Department will perform a detailed mechanical inspection on the Tran vehicle to determine whether some sort of problem with the car contributed to the happening of this tragic collision.  In addition to that, the police will likely attempt to piece together the last days and/or hours of Tran's life to see if something might explain what could be considered suicidal or reckless actions. Among other things, this will entail some forensic toxicology to determine whether alcohol, medication or drugs played a role.

Compensation for the victims of auto accidents involving reckless or even careless  drivers should be an important concern for everyone.  When a driver like the one above runs a red light , for whatever reason, they or some other responsible party should be held accountable.  An Orange County traffic accident attorney with experience at handling intersection accident cases can make a fair assessment of these claims.  Mr. Ralph has more than 21 years of experience handling personal injury cases, including auto accidents caused by mechanical failures and reckless drivers.  He can be reached at 714-919-4415 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Have you or a family member been the victim of a serious or fatal automobile accident?

Nothing in this post is intended to suggest the Law Offices of Paul W. Ralph currently represents anyone involved in the news story above. This posting should not be construed as legal advice or an opinion on the merit of any particular matter. A consultation is the best way to obtain an assessment of your potential case.