On Nov. 14, a California man was killed while attempting to pass a semi-truck on a two-lane highway, authorities reported. A total of five vehicles were involved in the fatal car accident that took place along Highway 79 near Temecula. The 67-year-old San Diego man who was killed was pronounced dead at the scene while the six other people involved suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The car accident happened at around 5:30 a.m. while conditions were dark and rainy. While driving a 2004 Toyota Tundra eastbound near Pauba Road, the ]man reportedly tried to pass a tractor-trailer that was going 30 mph by crossing into the westbound lane. After the man entered the opposite lane of traffic, his car collided with a westbound 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser, which then struck the trailer attached to the semi-truck.
A driver approaching westbound in a 1999 Ford F-350 was unable to avoid the collision and ended up striking the two passenger vehicles. Next, a 1993 Ford F-350 that had also been traveling westbound hit the Tundra. Among those who were injured was an 84-year-old woman who was a passenger in the deceased man’s vehicle. She was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries. The 67-year-old male driver of the PT Cruiser suffered broken arms, ribs and ankles. All of the other reported injuries were minor, and the 58-year-old semi-truck driver was uninjured.
When the driver who was at fault in a multi-car crash dies, injured victims still have the right to seek some monetary compensation for their injuries. Injured victims would need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the deceased party’s estate in order to pursue compensation. A car accident attorney may be able to help injured victims in this situation to gather all of the appropriate evidence for a successful claim.
Source: The Press Enterprise , “Temecula: One dead, six injured, when truck tries to pass big rig (update)”, Sarah Burge , November 14, 2014
