Tragic multi-vehicle accident kills off-duty police officer.
An eleven year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division was killed last Thursday evening in a head on collision in Diamond Bar, California according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Jacqueline Montalvo, 37, was driving her Infiniti northbound on Grand Avenue in Diamond Bar when she apparently crossed over a grass and cement median into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a truck. Two additional vehicles then collided with the original crash scene. Ms. Montalvo was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of a small pickup truck that was part of the secondary collision was flown to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with serious injuries. Three other people were also hospitalized with minor injuries as a result of the accident. An explanation of why Ms. Montalvo crossed over the median into oncoming traffic is not apparent at this time.
This tragic accident is an all too common occurrence on the nation’s roads. On average, over 40,000 people are killed each year in car accidents. That’s about 115 people every day or almost 5 every hour. In the time it takes you to read this article, statistics tell us that someone may suffer a fatal car accident. In addition to the fatal accidents, another 3 million people will be injured in car accidents this year. Despite the implementation of strict safety standards and a much greater awareness of safety procedures, car accidents continue to be a daily occurrence across America. We don’t know, at the present time, what caused MS. Montalvo to cross over the median and strike the oncoming truck. We do know that the most common reason for car accidents in the United States is some form of driver distraction. Driver distraction can be anything from answering a cell phone to drifting off to sleep while driving. Anything that causes you to take your eyes off the road, even for a second, can have serious, if not fatal, consequences. Most of us don’t think twice about applying make-up while driving, talking to passengers, talking on our cellular phones, eating or doing any number of other things that take our eyes off the road. We just don’t realize how quickly tragedy can strike.
The City of Los Angeles has lost a valuable employee and a family has lost a family member. Another 4 people have suffered injuries ranging from serious to potentially life-threatening. If someone’s negligence was to blame for this accident, then the injured victims could have the basis for a California personal injury lawsuit. If you have been involved in a car accident and believe that someone else was to blame, then contact a California personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Only an experienced California personal injury attorney can evaluate your particular accident and determine what legal options you may have to pursue compensation for any injuries you suffered in the accident. The experienced attorneys at Ledger & Associates, 1-800-300-0001 or www.ledgerlaw.com are available to answer any questions you may have regarding personal injury law.
