Car accident leads to 1 teen’s death and many injuries
It is tragic for a person of any age to die, but it can be especially difficult to find out that young people who had their entire lives ahead of them have passed away in a car crash. A California accident sadly took place on a recent Saturday and claimed the life of a junior in high school. The girl’s grandmother also suffered critical injuries in the fiery car accident.
The incident occurred in the area of Highway 120, police said. The 16-year-old girl and her 45-year-old grandmother had just finished attending a baby shower and were driving when the accident happened. A 26-year-old man was reportedly driving a vehicle east on the highway. Traffic had started to slow down, but the man was allegedly driving too quickly for road conditions, officials said.
The vehicle hit the car that the 45-year-old was driving, police reported. This car then struck a car that a 29-year-old woman was driving. The car with the grandmother and teenager caught fire; the teenager died at the accident scene, while the grandmother was transported to the hospital via helicopter. The driver who police said was driving too quickly had minor injuries, and so did his passenger. The 29-year-old woman also had minor injuries, while a young girl in her car had moderate injuries.
Police continued to investigate the crash and said that neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be causal factors in the collision. If police are able to confirm who was at-fault in the accident, this person may be held liable for the injuries and death stemming from the car accident. Competent proof of negligence is needed in order for liability to be established in a California civil court; only then will a judge decide monetary damage claims in the victims’ favor.
Source: modbee.com, “Johansen High School student killed in fiery crash in Manteca”, Patty Guerra, Sept. 15, 2014