California woman killed in head-on collision
A 28-year-old woman was killed and two other women were seriously injured when two cars struck each other head-on on California State Road 4 in Stanislaus County on the evening of July 14. Police investigating the accident said that it had not yet been determined if alcohol consumption or drug use were contributory factors.
According to a report released by the California Highway Patrol, the woman who lost her life was proceeding westbound on Highway 4 when her Honda Civic crossed the center line and struck an eastbound Ford Focus with a 23-year-old woman behind the wheel and a 41-year-old female in the front passenger seat. The head-on collision took place at approximately 10:45 p.m. near Rock Creek.
The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene, and a helicopter was summoned by emergency services personnel to transport the driver of the Ford to a Level II trauma center in Modesto. The Ford’s passenger was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Both women suffered major injuries in the crash.
While the cause of this accident may not have been immediately clear, head-on collisions frequently occur when drivers fall asleep behind the wheel or become distracted. This type of automobile accident is particularly dangerous because the vehicles involved are often traveling at highway speeds and oncoming drivers usually have very little time to assess the situation and take evasive action. In car accident lawsuits where fatigue or distraction may have been factors, personal injury attorneys may have the vehicles involved inspected to eliminate the possibility of mechanical failure, and they may also check the data recorded by most modern automobiles. Attorneys may also request wireless service provider records when it seems likely that defendants were on the phone or texting behind the wheel.