The Beverly Hills Courier reports that a man was killed early Friday morning, May 20, after an alleged drunk driver hit his vehicle, which was stalled on the side of the 91 Freeway in Buena Park.
According to the article, a man in his 20s had pulled off to the side of the freeway near Knott Avenue and was sitting in his silver Toyota Camry with the hazard lights on. Then, at approximately 1:10 a.m., a woman, also in her 20s, struck his vehicle with her black Volkswagen Jetta at what police have stated as a high rate of speed. KTLA reports another vehicle swerved to avoid the stalled vehicle and hit the freeway’s center divider shortly before the fatal collision. It was not reported whether the driver sustained injuries.
The man in the stalled vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene of the fatal California car accident. Pending notification of his relatives, the man’s name has not yet been released. According to police, the woman and her male passenger had been drinking at bars in Fullerton. She was arrested for driving under the influence.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 10,839 people were killed in accidents that involved an alcohol-impaired driver in the United States in 2009, accounting for 32 percent of the total motor vehicle accident-related fatalities that occurred that year (33,808). Of the vehicle accident deaths that were alcohol-related, 67 percent, or 7,281, of the decedents were the impaired motorists themselves. Twenty-seven percent, or 2,891, of the deaths were occupants in motor vehicles, with the remaining six percent, or 667, being nonoccupants.
When someone is killed due to an impaired or otherwise negligent motorist, it is important for the victim’s family to understand that there are legal options available to them. If you have lost a family member in a car crash caused by a negligent motorist, contact the Los Angeles car accident lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP to learn more about your legal rights. Call 1-877-800-1700 today.
