California Injury Lawyer Blog

A 4-year-old boy tragically died Friday night in a suspected DUI crash near Cutler, the California Highway Patrol reported. According to news reports in the Fresno Bee, the victim, 4-year-old Angel Lopez, was a passenger in a Toyota driven eastbound on Avenue 440 by Rodolfo Rangle, 32, of Cutler.

Rangle apparently ran a stop sign at the intersection of Avenue 440 and Road 120, and drove into the path of a northbound 2001 Dodge. The driver of the Dodge braked to try and avoid the collision, but the front bumper of the vehicle collided with the right side of the Toyota.

Lopez was flown to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. Rangle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. It was not clear what the relationship was between Rangle and Lopez. The occupants of the Dodge, Evelyn Hernandez, 55, of Orange Cove, 4-year-old Destiny Raygoza of Visalia and 60-year-old Alice Hernandez of Visalia, were taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Please keep the family of Angel Lopez in your prayers as they are grieving the loss of this young, innocent boy. If news reports of this July 23rd accident are true, it is absolutely appalling that a grown adult would knowingly endanger a child by driving under the influence of alcohol.

Cause of the Tulare County Crash

Based on the news reports, it appears that this two-vehicle collision was caused by the suspected drunk driver, Rodolfo Rangle. If news reports are accurate and he is determined to have caused this crash because he was driving under the influence of alcohol, he may be facing criminal charges for his passenger's death and the injuries of the occupants of the Dodge. Additionally, Rangle may be held financially responsible for the serious personal injuries of the occupants of the Dodge, and the drunk driving wrongful death of his passenger.

Continue reading "4-Year-Old Boy Killed in Suspected Drunk Driving Crash in Orosi" »

A 58-year-old man was struck and killed early Thursday morning while crossing Avenue 416 in Orosi, the Visalia Times-Delta reported. The May 27th fatal pedestrian accident occurred near the intersection of Road 126, at about 3:15 a.m. According to news reports, the man, who was not identified, was crossing the street when he was struck by a 2001 Ford Taurus driven by a 65-year-old Orosi man. He died at the scene. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the fatal Orosi pedestrian accident.

Cause of the Accident

Based on the limited information provided in news reports, the cause of the pedestrian accident is not clear. The CHP will determine if the driver of the car could have done anything to prevent this accident, and hopefully help the family understand exactly what happened.

Wrongful Death Liability

While this fatal Tulare County pedestrian accident remains under investigation, the family of the victim would be well advised to discuss this accident with a California wrongful death attorney. Even if the driver is not cited by law enforcement for causing the accident, he still may be held liable in a civil wrongful death claim. An attorney can help the family protect and understand their legal rights and review the facts of this incident to determine if they may obtain compensation for the loss of their loved one in a wrongful death claim.

Continue reading "Man Crossing Street Struck and Killed in Orosi " »