Car accident kills 3 in California
The families of three people are mourning the deaths of loved ones following a fiery crash in California. According to police, the crash occurred early in the morning on a recent Sunday in late January. The car accident happened on a U.S. highway after the victims’ vehicle left the roadway.
Police were called to the scene of a vehicle fire on the southbound side of the highway. After arriving at the scene, authorities discovered a car that was covered in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish this blaze, but, unfortunately, three people were found dead inside the car.
Investigators said the vehicle appeared to have been going south when it left the road and hit a tree. The vehicle reportedly kept going south and hit yet another tree before rotating clockwise. Finally, the car went over an embankment near the highway, where it proceeded to catch on fire. It is not yet clear whether alcohol use contributed to the collision.
When a car accident is the result of negligence, such as drinking and driving, the family members of deceased passengers may choose to file wrongful death claims in California civil courts. If they receive compensation as the result of successful claims, it may help them to cover burial costs and other accident-related losses. Even in situations in which negligent drivers died in the accidents, the passengers’ families may still sue the drivers’ estates, as well as any other owners of the cars they were operating at the time of the car accidents.
Source: abc7news.com, “Three killed after car crash, fire on Highway 101 in San Jose“, Feb. 1, 2015