California Injury Lawyer Blog

Three people were taken to hospitals with major injuries following a violent three-car collision on Highway 12 in Glen Ellen on Sunday night, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. The crash occurred west of Madrone Road at about 9 p.m., and involved a Nissan Altima, a Honda CRV, and a silver Acura RSX.

According to news reports, the driver of the Nissan, Edgar Ramirez, 30, swerved into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with the Honda CRV driven by Stacy Burmer, 44, of Sanger. The Acura was directly behind Burmer's Honda CRV. The driver of the Acura, Jessica Petro, 27, of Santa Rosa, swerved to avoid the oncoming Nissan but hit the Honda and then struck a guardrail.

Ramirez and Burmer both suffered "severe" injuries and were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Queen of the Valley Hospital. A passenger in the Honda CRV, Debra Skelton, 40, of Sanger, was also taken to Memorial Hospital, along with Jessica Petro, the driver of the Acura.

Cause of the Highway 12 Crash

According to news reports in the Sonoma Index-Tribune, the CHP public information officer for the Napa region said the CHP is continuing its investigation to determine if Ramirez was under the influence of alcohol, "as it appears," when he hit Burmer's Honda. The cause of the July 12th Highway 12 crash remains under investigation. However, it sounds like this crash may have been alcohol-related.

Head-on Crashes and Personal Injury Liability

When another driver crosses into oncoming traffic on a highway and causes a head-on collision, he may be liable for the serious injuries of everyone involved. In situations such as this one, where drunk driving may have been a contributing factor in a crash, the family members of the victims would be well-advised to contact a northern California personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer who has represented victims of alcohol-related crashes can help the victims protect their legal rights and obtain the maximum compensation for their injuries, including their medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering related to an accident.

Continue reading "Major Injuries Reported in Highway 12 Head-On Collision " »

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.

Continue reading "Four Family Members Killed in Highway 12 Crash Involving Two Big Rigs in Napa County " »