According to the Orange County Register, a 55-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene of a traffic collision in La Habra on Sunday night. The two-vehicle crash occurred at 10:33 p.m. on Harbor Boulevard and Arbolita Drive. Citing official sources, the Register reported that one of the vehicles actually rolled off the roadway. The deceased driver has been identified as Oscar Rodriguez of Buena Park. The driver of the second vehicle involved in this Orange County auto accident was reportedly uninjured. The La Habra Police Department is investigating the accident as a possible DUI.
Traffic Fatalities Actually On The Decline
According to statistics published by the California Office of Traffic Safety, the number of fatal automobile accidents and the number of DUI fatalities occurring on California actually decreased, as of the time the numbers were last reported. In 2010, California’s traffic fatalities decreased 11.9 percent, reaching their lowest level since the federal government began recording traffic fatalities in 1975. Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities (fatalities in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or greater) dropped by 14.4 percent from 924 in 2009 to 791 in 2010. The 2010 figure is the lowest DUI death total ever. In spite of this trend, nearly every week a fatal or serious-injury automobile accident is reported in Orange County. While the recent numbers are encouraging, if we can further diminish the number of alcohol and drug-related crashes, we can greatly diminish the risk we all take while behind the wheel.
Fault For This Accident
A complete accident reconstruction will likely be necessary in order to completely understand this tragedy and assign liability for Rodriguez' death. At this point, we do not know which of the drivers, if either of them, may have been impaired behind the wheel. In addition to the impairment issue, there is also the fact the roadway where there this accident happened is curved, and the roadway was wet from the rain. With all of these factors to be considered, fault for this accident will require a detailed analysis.
Assuming the accident was caused by the neglect of the surviving driver, Rodriquez' family would be legally entitled to pursue a claim for wrongful death. Assessing the liability picture and the potential damage recovery is something that can be addressed by an experienced Orange County injury attorney.
SOURCE: 55-year-old man dies in La Habra crash, Orange County Register, Alejandra Molina and Sean Emery, December 3, 2012
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