A pedestrian was killed early this morning in Riverside when the driver of a pickup truck lost control and drove onto a sidewalk. According to the report by KABC News, the 43-year-old victim was being struck by a suspected drunken at about 2:30 a.m. in Riverside. The accident happened at about 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of Crest Avenue and Babb Avenue. According to witnesses, the driver, 19-year-old Mena Joel Guzman, was driving north on Crest when he could not negotiate a curve and drove onto the sidewalk. The pedestrian, who has yet to be identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. Guzman was subsequently arrested for vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI and booked into jail. The Riverside Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team is still investigating the cause of the crash and anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ken Madsen at (951) 826-8723.
Scene of the Accident
The scene of the accident is in a residential area and the intersection is somewhat angulated beyond the normal 90 degrees. While the roadway configuration may have played some role in this accident, it will take a full blown accident reconstruction to make that final determination. When a roadway is inherently unsafe and the driver impaired (due to alcohol, drugs, fatigue, etc.), it is easy to see how that would be a recipe for disaster. While there is a stop sign at the intersection, there does not appear to be any curve warning sign for northbound Crest vehicles. There does not appear to be many street lights in the area of the accident, and lighting will have to be evaluated to see if it was a contributing cause of this tragic accident. One thing is clear from the description of the accident above, the pedestrian likely shares no part of the blame for what happened.
DUI Accidents in Riverside
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, the City of Riverside is among the safer cities when compared to others of similar size. Where Riverside does not fair well is in terms of city ranking for accidents involving people under 21 who had been drinking. Riverside ranks 5th out of 13 in that category, meaning only four similar-sized cities are worse. It should be remembered that California has a zero tolerance program for drivers under the age of 21 who have been drinking. If an underage driver demonstrates a blood alcohol level of even .01 or greater they may lose their license and/or be convicted of driving under the influence.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a DUI driver, a personal injury attorney with experience at handling such cases may be of assistance in obtaining the monetary compensation allowed under the law.
SOURCE: Riverside suspected DUI crash: Pedestrian dead, driver arrested, KABC News, July 13, 2013, by Inland Empire news.
Scene of the Accident
The scene of the accident is in a residential area and the intersection is somewhat angulated beyond the normal 90 degrees. While the roadway configuration may have played some role in this accident, it will take a full blown accident reconstruction to make that final determination. When a roadway is inherently unsafe and the driver impaired (due to alcohol, drugs, fatigue, etc.), it is easy to see how that would be a recipe for disaster. While there is a stop sign at the intersection, there does not appear to be any curve warning sign for northbound Crest vehicles. There does not appear to be many street lights in the area of the accident, and lighting will have to be evaluated to see if it was a contributing cause of this tragic accident. One thing is clear from the description of the accident above, the pedestrian likely shares no part of the blame for what happened.
DUI Accidents in Riverside
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, the City of Riverside is among the safer cities when compared to others of similar size. Where Riverside does not fair well is in terms of city ranking for accidents involving people under 21 who had been drinking. Riverside ranks 5th out of 13 in that category, meaning only four similar-sized cities are worse. It should be remembered that California has a zero tolerance program for drivers under the age of 21 who have been drinking. If an underage driver demonstrates a blood alcohol level of even .01 or greater they may lose their license and/or be convicted of driving under the influence.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a DUI driver, a personal injury attorney with experience at handling such cases may be of assistance in obtaining the monetary compensation allowed under the law.
SOURCE: Riverside suspected DUI crash: Pedestrian dead, driver arrested, KABC News, July 13, 2013, by Inland Empire news.
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