Street Racing Drivers Killed Elderly Woman on Wheelchair

At least two drivers are now facing criminal charges following the death of a 90-year-old woman in wheelchair whom they accidentally killed in West Covina, Los Angeles, California, reports said.

The drivers were identified as Vincent Lopez, 30, and Victor Hugo, 34. The two were allegedly street racing in West Covina Streets when one of the vehicles involved in the spontaneous race crashed into a van. As a result of which, the driver of the van was injured and was subsequently transported to a hospital, while its elderly female passenger in wheelchair was thrown from the van and died.

Investigation revealed that Lopez was driving the vehicle that struck the van. He likewise sustained injuries and remains hospitalized, according to reports.

Meanwhile, the other driver, Hugo, allegedly fled from scene but was later arrested.

Their arraignment was scheduled last Friday but so far, no other details are yet released.

As it is, street racing is prevalent in the streets of California. In fact, it has been an illegal practice in the United States from the 1930s until present. Moreover, since vehicles used in such street racing competitions typically lack professional racing safety equipments and their drivers lack proper safety gears and training in high-speed driving, injuries and fatalities are pretty common.

In addition, similar to what happened to this recent incident, street racing also puts ordinary drivers at high risk since the illegal races are held on public roads rather than in a racetrack facility, explained by a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. In such regard, he hopes that further efforts will be made to curb incidences of such high-risk road activities.

Best-selling Car in U.S. Gets Poor IIHS Rating

In the most recent crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), America’s best-selling car, the Toyota Camry, reportedly received poor safety rating for this year.

Reports said that the Camry failed to get the best safety rating during the latest crash test which measured how well people are protected once the front corner of a car was hit by another car or an object during a head-on collision. It was rated “Poor” on the said safety aspect.

On the other hand, although Camry failed the crash test, it nevertheless did a great job on the institute’s four other tests and earned a ”Top Safety Pick” certification. However, when it comes to earning a ”Top Safety Pick-Plus” rating, Toyota again failed to receive one due to its bad performance on the new ”small overlap” test of corner crashes.

Moreover, the institute also rated Toyota’s Prius v gas-electric hybrid wagon poorly during the crash test. However, the same still received a ”Top Safety Pick” rating.

Nevertheless, both Prius v and Camry performed well in moderate front-end crash test, side impact, roof strength, and rear impact tests, according to the IIHS. 

Meanwhile, ten moderately priced mid-size cars received the institute’s highest rating: Honda Accord, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Kia Optima, Dodge Avenger, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Volkswagen Passat, and Suzuki Kashai.

In a statement, IIHS’ President, Adrian Lund, claimed that the Japanese automaker’s engineers still have a lot of work to do to match the performance of its competitors while on the other hand, Toyota said that IIHS has recently raised that bar with the new test, exceeding the usual U.S. government requirements. Nevertheless, Toyota pledged that it plans to evaluate the new test protocols to achieve a greater crash performance in the said area. For the company, it is a challenge to respond.

Toyota has reportedly sold over 373,000 Camry in the U.S. alone through November. In fact, it has been the top-selling car in the U.S. almost every year.

Apparently, the IIHS is devoted in conducting crash tests to reduce deaths, injuries, and damage losses to properties from car and other vehicle accidents. Because of such aims, a Los Angeles vehicle accident lawyer here recently expressed his full support to the institute.

Factors that Increase Motorcycle Accidents and other Traffic Mishaps

In a recent report released by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), it was revealed that motor vehicle accident rates in California vary for many reasons. Some reason seen by the agency for the said gradation is due to the rise in traffic volume at particular times in a year, rise in drunk drivers, and other weather-related factors.

In addition, by comparing annual reports, both car and truck accident rates have been significantly affected with the increased use of cell phones and hand-held devices, as well as state laws that prohibit distracted driving behavior.

Meanwhile, the recent increase in the number of motorcycle fatalities in the state has been attributed to other factors, such as with the increased popularity of the motorcycles due to its fuel-efficiency, and its being convenient to use. In fact, motorcycle registration in the state is about to double in number in the past decade. So far, California has over one million registered motorcycle riders.

Incidentally, CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System’s data from 2010 to 2011 revealed that the number of motorcyclist killed has increased by 20 percent.

Unfortunately, over the decade ending in 2007, motorcycle accident fatalities increased by 132 percent. Therefore, safety advocates are concerned that an annual toll of several hundred fatalities and 10,000 or more injuries is the unwelcomed new normal.

Consequently, CHP is urging all motorists to focus on strategies in preventing future accidents. The agency noted that vehicle drivers who are making turns should always take a second look to make sure that they did not fail to notice a motorcycle from behind.  Also, a Los Angeles motorcycle lawyer herein agreed on the same suggestion as he noticed the same thing in his daily experience.

Over-speeding Driver Claims God Had Told Her to Drive Fast

A reckless driver who was pulled over by the police for over-speeding reportedly told cops that she had been told by God to drive so fast.

As reported, the police officers in Fort Pierce, Florida were alerted upon seeing a silver Toyota driving 100 mph in a 30 mph zone while blowing her horn for about ten seconds and having her hand hanging out of the vehicle last Tuesday on US 1.

Police officer claimed that when they tried to stop the female driver, she further increased her speed and nearly hit a curb. Subsequently, the vehicle drifted across two southbound lanes before it came to a stop.

Accordingly, as the cops pulled the 41-year-old driver, Melissa Miller, and confronted her about her strange driving behavior, she simply replied that it was all because she was letting the spirit of the Lord come into her. Also, she further said that the Lord was telling her to blow her horn aloud.

Apparently, the apprehending officer did not believe in miracles; therefore, she was arrested for reckless driving and was booked in St. Lucie County Jail under a $375.00 bail.

In addition, Miller was also charged with violating her existing probation resulting from her previous hit-and-run accident.

Obviously, such kind of excuses cannot save anyone from being penalized after violating traffic laws, according to several personal injury lawyers. Apparently, they have heard many similar fabricated stories from apprehended drivers in their years of experience in the industry, they added.

UFC Legend Randy Couture’s Manager Figures in Fiery L.A. Car Crash

Photo gives credit to TMZ.

In recent news stories, UFC Legend Randy Couture’s manager was reportedly involved in a fiery vehicle accident in Los Angeles this month.

Couture told a media firm that his manager, Sam Spira, and daughter were caught up in a horrible accident as Spira was driving his BMW X6M to a friend’s house. He stated that after they heard a loud bang while traveling about 10 miles per hour, his car speeded up all of a sudden. Spira tried to reduce his speed but in a short while, his engine malfunctioned and then emitted light and flames under the car.

Subsequently, as they were trying to escape from the car, the door on the passenger seat side where his daughter was sitting would not open. Therefore, he quickly grabbed his daughter and pulled her out through the driver’s seat side.

Shortly, firefighters arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. However, Spira’s car was still totaled by the blaze, according to Couture.

Unfortunately, despite his repeated efforts trying to contact the BMW Corporation, his calls are simply being ignored. Until present, the car was not yet inspected to determine why its engine exploded.

Consequently, if the company failed to do something soon, he plans to sue it for damages.

Meanwhile, several personal injury lawyers said that Spira and his daughter should be grateful enough that the incident did not occur in a freeway because if it did, they could have been dead by now. Nevertheless, they claimed that Spira indeed has the right to sue the company following the incident. 

Harley Davidson Issues Product Recall Due to Increased Risk of Motorcycle Accident

In recent news reports, Harley-Davidson Motor Company was said to have issued a defective product recall for all bike models for year 2012 and some 2013 models due to possible manufacturing and assembly defects.

Accordingly, in a report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last October 29, the models for the said fiscal years were manufactured with bracket with screws that could loosen and get detached from the rear fender. The affected motorcycles were those that were manufactured between June 14, 2011 and August 1, 2012.

Apparently, such condition may lead to contact with the rear tire, which in turn could cause the vehicle license plate bracket to rotate and then damage the rear break line, explained by the NHTSA officials. If the condition remains unaddressed, it may eventually affect rear break performance, hence increasing the risk of a motorcycle accident that could lead to severe injuries or even death.

Since November 5, Harley-Davison has been notifying owners of the affected vehicles. Meanwhile, dealer are currently inspecting and repairing the motorcycles free of charge, added the NHTSA.

On the other hand, a Los Angeles motorcycle attorney who has witnessed many fatal motorcycle accidents involving Harley–Davidson motorcycles is pleased with the company’s efforts in issuing a product recall to prevent further accidents that often result in severe injuries and death.  In fact, based on a 2010 statistics in California, there are 19 fatalities and 750 injuries reported as a result of motorcycle accidents just within Orange County.

Insurance Company: Friday Has Most Number of Car Accident Claims

Generally, everyday driving puts the life of every motorist at risk. However, in an initial report compiled early this year and released by an insurance company, it was revealed that Friday is the most dangerous day for motorists to hit the road.

According to a report released by the insurance industry based from its analysis of reports it had received early in this current year, car accident insurance claims for Fridays reached an average of 4,664 each day.

Meanwhile, Wednesday comes next with an average of 4,197 claims per day and then closely followed by Thursday.

Consequently, Monday and Tuesday are the safest days to drive.

Meanwhile, the associate vice president of safety at Nationwide, Bill Windsor, speculated that some motorists are probably thinking about their plans on weekends rather than focusing on driving.

Incidentally, weekend is the most awaited time of the week since it is when people usually do the things that they normally can’t do during weekdays, such as going out with friends and family or taking a short vacation.

Moreover, Windsor claimed that nearly half of the reported accidents occur during commuting hours. In fact, according to a report released by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), minor fender-benders and being rear-ended are the most common types of accidents that occur during peak hours.

As a primary solution to this matter, a Los Angeles accident attorney suggested that drivers should avoid tailgating or leave at least a few seconds’ driving distance between their car and the driver in front of them as precautionary measures.

Furthermore, as everyone knows, distracted driving is the most common cause of accidents. Therefore, drivers should also refrain from texting while driving and instead focus their full attention on the road.