Two teen girls from Salinas were killed in a crash on Las Palmas Parkway Friday night, the California Highway Patrol reported. The April 9th crash, which involved a 2000 Lexus RX300 and a 1994 Mazda pickup truck, occurred at the intersection of River Road and Las Palmas Parkway at around 11:50 p.m. The driver of the Lexus, a 16-year-old Salinas girl, and one of her passengers, a 17-year-old Salinas girl, died at the scene. Another passenger, a 17-year-old Salinas girl, was taken to Salinas Valley Memorial hospital with non-life-threateing injuries. The 19-year-old man driving the Mazda pickup truck, a Soledad resident, suffered minor injuries in the accident. Both vehicles were severely damaged.
The cause of the Monterey County accident remains under investigation by the CHP. Authorities did not believe alcohol was a factor in the collision.
Who Was At Fault?
According to reports in the Salinas Californian, an hour after the crash it was still unclear which vehicle had the right of way at the intersection, in other words, whether the Lexus or the pickup truck had a green light. The Lexus was making a left-hand turn onto River Road from Las Palmas Parkway, and the truck was heading south on River Road. In this particular accident, it is not clear who was at fault. The families of the deceased teenagers would be well-advised to speak with a California personal injury attorney who is skilled and experienced in the area of fatal intersection accidents and intersection accident reconstruction. While evidence can still be preserved (i.e. skid marks), an attorney can hire an investigator to determine exactly what happened and who was at fault. The damaged vehicles are important evidence that may yield clues and answers as to what happened.
Sources: Salinas Californian, Contra Costa Times
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