California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers recently reported a fatal head-on collision along Highway 70 near Oroville and Marysville. In the early hours of Monday, March 29th, a Ford truck and a Ford SUV crashed head-on. It is believed that both of the vehicles must have been traveling at highway speeds due to the significant damage to both vehicles.
The truck caught fire and the SUV was partially crumpled by the collision. A third vehicle – a Lexus – was hit by the truck as it rolled away from the collision, but no one was injured in that vehicle, based on preliminary reports. Drivers of both Ford vehicles did in the crash. The identities of the drivers have not been released to the public, but it has been stated that both are men in their 30s.
Crash scene investigators do not know if either driver was impaired, intoxicated, or distracted when the collision occurred. It is also possible that one or both drivers were exhausted due to the early hour of the day. It is not known if an autopsy will be conducted to create a toxicology report, which could show signs of inebriation or drug impairment.
Results of the investigations could also shed some light on which driver was liable for the accident. The driver of the Lexus could also potentially serve as a valuable witness to explain how and why the crash happened. At that point, surviving family members of both parties could plan on filing wrongful death claims. California’s pure comparative negligence rule allows any party in an accident to seek damages from other parties, regardless of liability.
For more information about this developing story, you can read a full article from Action News Now, which works with several local news stations. To learn about filing accident and wrongful death claims in Northern California, you can contact the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley at any time to schedule a free consultation with our attorneys.