Tag: car crash

5 College Students Injured in Drowsy Driving Car Crash

Dec 14

What happens when you put a drowsy driver in a car full of college students?

In Vallejo, 5 college students were injured in an early morning car crash when their driver ran off an off-ramp and rolled over several times.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver, Bruce Paki, 22, fell asleep as they exited onto the off-ramp at around 4:10 AM. The 2009 Toyota Corolla then hit a dirt embankment, causing it to overturn.

Two female passengers, who were unbelted, got thrown out of the vehicle. Two 22-year-old women were ejected through the rear window, Tselal Seeye, of Ethiopia, and graduate Michelle Kim, of San Bernardino County suffered suffered moderate to major injuries. The right rear tire of the vehicle pinned Seeye. They were taken to the John Muir Medical Center.

The authorities are investigating if speed and alcohol were also factors in the crash, aside from drowsy driving.

If driving with peers isn’t dangerously distracting enough, operating a motor vehicle while fatigued or drowsy can impair critical elements for safe driving practices such as slow down driver’s reaction times and cause vision impairment, lapses in judgment and delays in processing information.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. Annually, drowsy driving has accounted for 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

A drowsy driver can be sued for damages – in fact, there have been many cases where a driver who fell asleep at the wheel got jailed and had to pay victims damages for the injuries they sustained in a drowsy driving accident.

So if you’re going for a road trip with friends or have to drive despite being tired, better think twice. The National Sleep Foundation claims that it’s possible for drivers to fall into a 3-4 second microsleep without realizing it especially if they’re sleep-deprived or exhausted. Take a break, a nap, or have another drive for you – these simple decisions will go a long way in ensuring road safety and avoiding legal liability in a car accident.

The Right Way to Turn Left

Dec 07

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.