A fatal three-car collision claimed a 53-year-old veteran’s life on California’s Sierra Highway on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. The accident, which occurred at 7:30 p.m., in between Sand Canyon Road and Vasquez Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, was first reported to the California Highway Patrol by witnesses in the area.
The Lancaster-area victim of the fatal car crash was operating his pickup truck in the southbound direction along the Sierra Highway when the accident occurred. A sedan carrying a 40- and 66-year old, was being driven in the opposite direction along the same highway as it approached the pickup truck driven by the male victim.
Behind that sedan, and traveling driving northbound as well, was a 27-foot motor home. As the pickup truck and sedan approximated one another, witnesses noted that the pickup began to cross over the center line barrier into the northbound lane, ultimately making contact with the sedan’s side panel.
Upon striking the sedan, the pickup overturned before crashing into the ensuing motor home head-on. The truck’s driver was rushed to the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in critical condition where he later died according to the CHP.
The driver and passenger of the sedan, both of Van Nuys, and the 41-year-old Palmdale motor home driver were all treated at the same hospital as the deceased and later released. California Highway Patrol officials have determined that neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to have caused the fatal accident.
Though the highway was closed following the accident for an investigation, no charges against any of the parties involved in the accident have been filed. The California Highway Patrol emphasizes that the investigation is ongoing.
Unfortunately, wrongful death auto accidents are not all that uncommon on southern California’s busy highways. If you or someone you know have experienced a loss resulting from the negligence of another; a personal injury attorney can help you understand your right to compensation to cover medical expenses and funeral costs as well as pain and suffering.
Source: KHTS AM 1220, “Investigation continues for fatal three-car crash on Sierra Highway,” Natalie Rocha, Dec. 19, 2016