San Mateo County car crash under investigation

Many San Mateo County residents have likely heard about the horrible accident that occurred on July 8 on Highway 101. The car accident had tragic results, with one man dead and another suffering serious injury.

The accident comes on the heels of our previous post, which detailed how distracted driving is leading to all kinds of auto accidents, both serious and minor, throughout the nation. The investigation surrounding the July 8 accident is ongoing, and there are not currently any allegations of distracted or drunk driving, but the reports on the car crash do present some interesting information.

The most suspicious part of the crash was how it began. A pickup truck reportedly smashed into a center median, and the driver of the truck then left the scene. A small Mazda car subsequently struck the pickup truck, and the driver and passengers of that vehicle were the ones who suffered the most injuries. The driver and front passenger of the Mazda were both sent to the hospital after the crash, with the driver suffering serious injury. The rear seat passenger was the fatality in the accident - he was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Three other vehicles then crashed into the pickup truck and Mazda, but none of the passengers in those vehicles were injured.

The driver of the pickup truck gave himself up sometime after the crash on Sunday, and has given a statement to authorities. The investigation is ongoing, but no criminal charges were immediately filed.

It is never a good idea to make rash judgments, but the actions of the driver of the pickup truck in this case do not appear to be those of someone with nothing to hide. The people who were injured and killed in this accident will likely have representatives demanding answers, and if there are any findings of a negligent or distracted driver, the injured parties could be entitled to compensation.

Source: SFGate.com, "San Mateo Hwy 101 crash leaves 1 dead, 1 injured," Matthai Kuruvila, July 8, 2012