Chain Reaction After Vehicle Abandoned on Freeway Claims Two Lives

A single car accident led a driver to abandon her vehicle on the southbound 605 Freeway in Whittier early this morning.  What happened next, according to the KTLA news report, was tragic, and two people lost their lives after running into the abandoned vehicle.  The driver involved in the solo crash simply got out of her car and walked off the freeway before three other cars struck the vehicle in the carpool lane.  In the span of about 10 minutes, two of the drivers, one a 67-year-old man and the other a man 60 years old, were killed in separate impacts.  A fifth vehicle swerved to avoid an impact and overturned.

The Likely Causes of This Accident

While  it is unknown what type of damage was done to the vehicle involved in the first, solo crash, in order to safely leave the vehicle it should be driven off the freeway completely or at least out of the travel lanes.  Beyond that, every reasonable effort should be made to ensure the vehicle is visible to other drivers.  This would include activating the emergency flashers and/or leaving the headlights on the vehicle.  Other factors that may have contributed to this tragic accident include the inability of drivers generally to determine motion in the dark, driver inattention, age of the drivers (elderly) and possibly driver distractions/impairments (potentially tired, intoxicated, etc.)

Wrongful Death Claims

The families of the two drivers killed in this tragic accident likely have valid claims for wrongful death against the driver who abandoned her vehicle on the freeway.  Unless there was some sort of mechanical defect with that first car, then a solo crash would likely have been the result of neglect.  That negligence, coupled with any carelessness associated with leaving the disabled car in a travel lane, would likely warrant at least an investigation into a wrongful death claim.  In California, the merit of those claims could be partially, if not completely, offset by any negligence of the two drivers who perished in the crash.

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in a multi-vehicle crash, an auto accident attorney can be of assistance in evaluating any potential claim.  When an accident is rendered complicated because of the number of parties involved or other unusual circumstances, contacting a personal injury attorney is the best way to gather information and discover your rights.

SOURCE:  605 Freeway Chain-Reaction Crash Kills 2, KTLA News, March 28, 2013, by Kellan Connor