Personal Injury Attorneys » Accident Reports

Semi-Truck Accident On I-15 Kills 2 People

rwt — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:58:31 +0000

Another Tragic Semi-Truck Accident Killing Two People on I-15

On Sunday, July 19, 2010, Russell W. Welsh and Emelda Welsh, of Finleyville, Pennsylvania were tragically killed when, according to news reports, a driver of a semi-truck traveling northbound at a high rate of speed failed to see that the traffic had slowed and swerved into the Southbound lane, killing Russell and Emelda Welsh.

This tragic accident happened on I-15, in Southern Utah, near Pentura in Washington County. Our heartfelt condolences go to the Russell and Emelda Welsh family.

According to one news report, officials believe that the driver of the semi-truck was not paying attention to existing traffic conditions. Because this accident involved a semi-truck, a post-accident drug test should be performed pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 382.303, which provides, in relevant part:

“(a) As soon as practicable following an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a public road in commerce, each employer shall test for alcohol for each of its surviving drivers: . . . (2) Who receives a citation within 8 hours of the occurrence under State or local law for a moving traffic violation arising from the accident, if the accident involved: (i) Bodily injury to any person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene of the accident; or (ii) One or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as a result of the accident, requiring the motor vehicle to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle. (b) As soon as practicable following an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a public road in commerce, each employer shall test for controlled substances for each of its surviving drivers: . . . (2) Who receives a citation within thirty-two hours of the occurrence under State or local law for a moving traffic violation arising from the accident, if the accident involved: (i) Bodily injury to any person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene of the accident; or (ii) One or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as a result of the accident, requiring the motor vehicle to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle.”

In any accident involving a semi-truck, immediate action should be taken to prevent destruction or loss of the following important information:

1. The truck driver’s complete employment file, including but not limited to his or her qualification file and all incident reports involving the driver.

2. The truck driver’s logs and other driving records.

3. Any and all pre and post-accident drug tests administered to the driver – DOT regulations require mandatory drug testing under certain circumstances.

4. Any and all compliance audits involving the driver and the trucking company.

5. Any satellite tracking information relating to the truck and its whereabouts.

6. Any and all information contained in or from on-board data recorders, such as ECM units, also called black boxes, inclinometers, etc.

7. Records of any and all communications between the truck driver and his employer or any other person at time periods relevant to the collision.

8. Maintenance records, pre-trip inspection reports, post-trip inspection reports and annual inspection reports for the truck involved in the collision.

9. Any and all incident reports relating to the truck driver.

10. Any and all incident reports relating to the trucking company.

11. Any and all trip receipts, weight tickets, bills of waiting and other operational documents relating to the trip the driver was on when the collision occurred.

12. The truck driver’s cellular phone records for several days before the collision.

Technorati Tags: I 15, road rage, semi trucks, truck accidents

Horrible Car Accident In St George May 12, 2010

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:25:16 +0000

We all need to be more careful and pay more attention when we are driving. Another life was needlessly lost on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, when, according to the Spectrum and Daily News, an 18 year old driver of a GMC pickup truck lost control of his truck, crossed the center divider and crashed into a van, killing Susan Van Der Heijden, a 24 year old woman from the Netherlands.

The accident apparently happened near mile marker 13 near LaVerkin, Utah. Ms. Heijden was a passenger in a Dodge van that was traveling west on SR-9 just before 4:00 p.m. when she and her boyfriend were struck head-on by the 18 year old driver of the GMC pickup truck. Ms. Heijden’s boyfriend apparently sustained serious injuries and was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center, in St. George, Utah.

The attorneys at Dixon Truman Fisher and Clifford PC. expresses our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the family of Ms. Heijden and to the families of the other individuals involved in this tragic automobile accident.

Technorati Tags: car accident, head on collision, laverkin utah, netherlands, st george utah

Nevada Car Accidents Statistics

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:15:59 +0000

In 2008, more than 200 people died in motor vehicle crashes in Clark County, Nevada. The largest number of deaths involved passenger cars (67 deaths) and the smallest number involved bicyclists (6 deaths). Surprisingly, 45 pedestrians were killed. Twelve deaths involved large trucks and 37 involved motorcyclists.

The Nevada Department of Transportation has not yet published its crash data for 2007, 2008 or 2009. We are told that this information should be available sometime in 2010. However, in 2006, there were 62,225 traffic collisions in Nevada. Of these, 20,876 resulted in personal injuries. The top three vehicle factors by severity were:

Failure to keep in proper lane
Failure to Yield of Right of Way
Driving too fast for conditions

Technorati Tags: car accidents, nevada, Personal Injury, statistics

Local Accidents in December

attorney — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:25:58 +0000

The Spectrum newspaper reported the following recent accidents:

A traffic accident with damages was reported Sunday on southbound I-15 near mile marker 51.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Sunday on the 1200 South block of Dixie Drive.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Saturday on northbound I-15 near mile marker 4.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Saturday at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Bluff Street.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Saturday on the 2700 East block of Red Cliffs Drive.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Saturday at the intersection of South River Road and East Commerce Drive.

A traffic accident hit and run was reported Saturday at the 2400 East block of Red Cliffs Drive.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Saturday on the 1100 East block of Riverside Drive.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Saturday at the intersection of West Sunset Boulevard and Dixie Downs Road.

Technorati Tags: boulevard, damages, injury, river road, st george, traffic accidents

Local Teens Learn Dangers of Texting

attorney — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:44:00 +0000

“Is any message worth losing your life over?” Reggie Shaw asked Dixie High School students.

Three years ago, Reggie Shaw was responsible for the deaths of two men as he was sending and receiving text messages while driving in Cache County.

Students at Dixie High School had the opportunity to hear his story firsthand earlier this month during an assembly according to an article in The Spectrum.

Shaw said he was 19 years old when the accident happened. He was off to work, just like any other day.

“I made the choice to text and drive,” he said. “I’d done it before and didn’t think it was dangerous.”

While on his way to work, Shaw crossed the center line and hit the oncoming vehicle. The vehicle spun and was hit by the vehicle behind Shaw.

“These two men were husbands and fathers,” he said.

Shaw was charged with negligent homicide. He served 30 days in jail and was required to do 100 hours of community service. His service has been talking to youth about the dangers of texting while driving.

“It’s been three years (since the accident), and it (talking about it) never gets easier. This assembly is no easier than the first one,” Shaw said.

He added he hopes he makes a difference.

“It really helps me come to peace with what happened, knowing I might be saving someone else’s life,” Shaw said.

Along with telling his story, he presented facts about car accidents in Utah. According to his presentation, there are DUI accidents every three hours, and people are injured by another in distracted driving accidents every 94 minutes.

Some students were impacted by Shaw’s presentation. T.J. Norton, 16, said he’s tried to text and drive but he doesn’t have the coordination.

“This was impactful because it was a real person, not just a generic person tell you texting is bad,” he said.

Macy Keith, 17, said Shaw’s message was powerful.

“I’ve texted while driving before,” she said. “I try not to, though. It scares me.”

The assembly was part of Red Ribbon Week, a week dedicated to remembering the dangers and prevention of drugs and alcohol abuse.

Technorati Tags: car accidents, dangers of texting, dixie high school, driving, negligent homicide, text messages, texting

Two Injured in St George Crash

attorney — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:26:54 +0000

A passenger vehicle traveling west on 700 East hit a Ford Explorer Tuesday evening as it was pulling out of the Harmon’s parking lot to turn left, according to a report by The Spectrum. The collision forced the SUV to tip over. St. George Police Officer Tyrell Bangerter said each vehicle had a single occupant. The 84-year-old male driver of the SUV was the most severely injured.

“The male was conscious and breathing, so that’s a good sign,” he said. “I don’t know if he was wearing his seat belt.”

Both drivers were transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center. Bangerter said the 24-year-old female driver in the other vehicle had minor injuries, but asked to be transported to the hospital.

Ronny Sweat and her daughter Nicole Vasquez saw the accident happen while attempting to turn into the Harmon’s parking lot. Vasquez said she called 911.

Sweat said she stopped, put her flashers on and started directing traffic.

“It was just so slow,” Sweat said.

Vasquez said she went to talk to the driver in the SUV to make sure he was alert.

“People from the community just rushed together to help out,” she said.

Bangerter said the 84-year-old St. George man was flown to a Las Vegas hospital because of neck injuries.

The 24-year-old woman from Ivins, injured her ankle.

Technorati Tags: Accidents, DRMC, ford explorer, Personal Injury, rollover, st george, traffic

St. George Utah Accidents

attorney — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:08:45 +0000

Auto accidents in the St. George Utah area might see an increase since school is back in session. Watch closely for children in cross walks and along roads.
The following accidents were reported in St. George.
August 25th two accidents with damages were reported on Tabernacle, one at 900 E the other at 700 E. Also an accident on Tuweap and 2000 N.
Wednesday August 26th there were two accidents with injuries, one on Witch Hazel Circle the other on 2400 S River Road. There was also an accident with damages on Sunset and Dixie Downs Dr Wednesday.
The Spectrum newspaper reports that early Thursday morning a 59 year old women was extricated from her vehicle on Indian Hills road after crashing. An investigation is still pending.
Thursday brought one hit and run 800 E and an accident with damages 700 S River Road.
Remember to be safe, watch for children, keep your speeds down.

Technorati Tags: accident injury, Accident Reports, Accidents, attorneys, damages, driving, Personal Injury, southern utah, st george, st george utah, traffic accidents, utah

Accidents

attorney — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:52:28 +0000

A traffic accident was reported August 5th at the 200 south block of River Road, along with an accident with injuries on Bluff Street.
A fatal motorcycle accident claimed the life of one man while traveling on I15 Thursday August 6th. Also on Thursday A Dodge Durango pulling a trailer rolled on I15 near the Bloomington exit.
A Cedar City teenager was struck by a car while crossing at an intersection Saturday.
A California man was struck and killed Saturday morning while he was traveling on his motorcycle on Telegraph.
Sunday afternoon a couple traveling on their motorcycle crashed after a deer ran in front of them on State Route 257. The female passenger died from head injuries even though she was wearing a helmet, the male passenger was taken to Delta Hospital then later flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

Technorati Tags: accident injury, Accident Reports, Accidents, driving, las vegas attorneys, motorcycles, Personal Injury, st george attorneys, traffic accidents, utah

Heat and Accidents

attorney — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:27:19 +0000

Traffic accidents in St. George do not seem to decline as temperatures rise. The following information was obtained from The Spectrum, a local publication that focuses on southern Utah news.
July 14, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Tuesday on the 2200 South block of River Road.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Tuesday on the 2200 South block of River Road.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Tuesday near the intersection of South Mall Drive and 2000 East.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Tuesday on the 2800 South block of 60 East.

July 15, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Wednesday on mile marker 12 of Interstate 15.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Wednesday on the 100 South block of Bluff Street.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Wednesday near the intersection of Bluff Street and St. George Boulevard.

July 16, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Thursday near the intersection of South Honey Locust Circle and East Elder Circle.

July 17, 2009
A hit and run traffic accident was reported Friday on the 600 South block of Bluff Street.

July 20, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Monday on the 1700 East block of 280 North.

Please use caution while driving. IF you are injured in an accident please call Dixon Truman & Fisher 435-652-9000, for your Free Consultation

Technorati Tags: accident injury, Accident Reports, Accidents, attorneys, damages, driving, Personal Injury, st george, st george utah, traffic accidents

Car Seats

attorney — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:54:08 +0000

Dixon Truman Fisher and Clifford promote the use of approved safety devices for children. Always securely place children in proper child restraint seats.
This story in the St. George Spectrum reemphasizes the importance of that.

CEDAR CITY – A fatal crash involving three vehicles on I-15 at mile post 42 led to two deaths and six people injured early Sunday morning.
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Driver Juan Garcia, 29, of Hesperia, Calif., was traveling southbound on I-15 at 4:05 a.m. with Chantel Manuel, 22, Olegario Angulo, 31, Zapatista Angulo, 3, and Assata Angulo, 5 months, all of Los Angeles, when Garcia swerved to the left to avoid a deer, according to a Utah Highway Patrol report.

Garcia’s 1993 Range Rover rolled several times and both children, not restrained in their car seats, were ejected from the vehicle, according to the report.

Olegario Angulo was seatbelted but sustained fatal head wounds from the roof and door of the vehicle, according to the report. Assata Angulo also died after suffering head injuries.

Manuel suffered injuries to the lower torso and Garcia to the head and arms, both later taken to Valley View Medical Center.

Mario Mendez, 67, of Vista, Caif., was driving a 2006 Toyota 4-Runner southbound when he saw the debris in the road but not the Range Rover, which did not have lights on, and hit it on the front right while swerving into the emergency lane, according to the report.

Mendez told UHP he got out and tried to warn oncoming traffic of the crash, but a third vehicle, driven by Jennifer A. Jordan, 47, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., did not see the Rover and hit its side.

Jordan’s 2003 Toyota Tacoma spun around into the emergency lane and came to rest facing east next to Garcia’s vehicle, according to the report.

Jordan suffered a broken ankle and was LifeFighted to Intermountain Medical Center. Her son, Jeremy, 20, who suffered bruises and abrasions, was taken to VVMC and later IMC to be with his mother.

Technorati Tags: Accidents, attorneys, driving, lawyers, Personal Injury, st george utah, traffic accidents