In a tragic twist of fate, a Department of Motor Vehicles instructor was injured in a car crash while conducting a driving test in Petaluma.

The victim, Roberto Mascardo, 63 was with Maria Adela Morales-Monterosa, 57, of Richmond as she went through her driving test when the Toyota Camry they were in got broadsided by an SUV as she was turning left.

The 1992 Ford Explorer driven by Raymundo Alvarez Sanchez struck the passenger side of the Camry where the DMV employee was seated.

Mascardo was injured and taken to the hospital where his current condition remained undisclosed. Both Monterosa and Sanchez were left uninjured.

A lot of motor vehicle collisions happen when the other car is making a left turn. It happens when turn signals are not properly used, or when the other driver is inattentive, or when the another car is moving too fast to stop from hitting a car making a left turn.

But left turn car accidents can be avoided especially if it is done safely and properly. Here are some guidelines to observe when making a left turn:

•    Always use your turn signals so the drivers behind you will know your intent to make a left or right turn.
•    A left turn against a red light can only be made from a one-way street onto a one way street.
•    To make a left turn, drive close to the center divider line or into the left turn lane. Signal about 100 feet before the turn and reduce your speed.
•    When waiting to make a left turn, keep your wheels pointed straight ahead. If your wheels are pointed to the left and a vehicle hits you from behind, you could be pushed into oncoming traffic.
•    When turning left, do not turn too soon and “cut the corner” of the opposite lane of the vehicles coming towards you.