The Napa County Sheriff's Department has reported four people in the same family spanning three generations were killed in a crash involving two big rig trucks on state Highway 12 (Jamieson Canyon Road) Thursday morning. The accident occurred around 8:20 a.m. on Highway 12, just east of Kirkland Ranch Road.
According to news reports, just moments before the crash occurred, a big-rig was travelling westbound on Highway 12 directly behind a Subaru. Traffic began to slow, and the driver of the big-rig did not stop in time, resulting with a rear-end collision with the Subaru in front of it. The impact pushed the car into oncoming traffic and into the path of an eastbound big-rig. The eastbound truck struck the Subaru and pushed it about 200 feet up the road.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, killed were the four occupants of the Subaru: the driver Matthew Jay Smith, 48, of Ashland, Ore.; his daughter, Laura Katharine Smith, 19, of Downingtown, Pa.; and his parents, Richard Smith, 80, and Sally Smith, 74, of Simsbury, Conn.
The driver of the westbound big-rig in the initial rear-end collision suffered minor to moderate injuries. The westbound big rig also clipped a Chevy commercial truck that was reportedly in front of the small passenger car. A driver and passenger in the commercial truck were not seriously injured. The driver of the eastbound big-rig truck was also not seriously hurt.
The scene of this horrific accident must have been completely devastating. The fact that four innocent lives were lost is incredibly sad and heartbreaking. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members of the four victims of this tractor-trailer crash.
Cause of the Jamieson Canyon Road Accident
The California Highway Patrol has begun their investigation. Based on news reports, the westbound big-rig that rear-ended the Subaru caused the initial collision. It is also possible that the driver of the eastbound big rig was partially responsible for the second collision. The CHP will undoubtedly investigated if other factors, such as road conditions or negligent vehicle maintenance were factors in the crash.
Truck Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability Considerations
After a big-rig crash, trucking companies waste no time in having their own investigators determine what happened, to protect them as much as possible. The family members of the victims should contact a skilled California truck accident attorney as soon as possible, who can arrange to have the accident scene inspected (while skid marks and other evidence is still present), and contact witnesses while recollections are still fresh. Because of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations governing the trucking industry, truck accident cases challenging and complex and from a legal standpoint, truck accidents are very different than car accidents. Choosing an attorney who has successfully won cases against trucking companies is imperative to ensure the companies are held fully accountable for the wrongful deaths of the victims.
Sources: Napa Valley Register, Vallejo Times-Herald , KCRA News Sacramento, San Francisco Chronicle, The Reporter
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