A crash near Lake Tahoe involving a 2002 Acura and a 2004 Volvo on Highway 89 Sunday evening left a 19-year-old St. Louis woman dead, the California Highway Patrol reported. The Easter Sunday crash occurred at about 6:30 p.m. April 4, on Highway 89 south of Alpine Meadows Road in Nevada County. According to reports in the Sierra Sun, the victim, Wenjie Li, 19, was a passenger in the Acura, which was travelling northbound on Highway 89.The driver of the Acura, Shang Gao, 20, of Reno, apparently lost control of the vehicle in snowy conditions and broadsided the southbound 2004 Volvo, driven by a Redwood City woman in her 40's. Li was taken by ambulance to Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, where she died of her injuries. Both Gao and the driver of the Volvo suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The Sacramento Bee reported that Li was a St. Louis university student visiting the Tahoe area with her boyfriend. Our condolences go out to her family and everyone who knew and loved her. Please keep her family in your prayers.
What Caused this Accident?
Based on the limited reports of the accident, it is not clear what caused Gao to lose control of his vehicle and collide with the Volvo. Authorities will investigate to see if Gao was not driving safely in light of weather conditions, or if he was under the influence of alcohol. It is also possible that something malfunctioned with the vehicle or one of its tires blew out, causing him to lose control. While this accident remains under investigation, the family of Wenjie Li and the woman driving the Volvo would be well-advised to speak to a California personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can help the victims protect their legal rights and understand who was at fault for the accident, and explain the family's options in a personal injury or wrongful death claim.
Source: Sierra Sun, Sacramento Bee
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