According to authorities with the California Highway Patrol, a horrific three-vehicle collision resulted in the deaths of a woman and three men, while also injuring a fifth person in another vehicle. The accident occurred on April 22 on Highway 50 near Stockton Boulevard around 2:30 a.m.
CHP reported that the woman was driving a Toyota Prius east in the westbound fast lane of the highway. Reportedly, she had driven the car for several miles in the wrong direction. Witnesses stated that she had swerved around other cars prior to crashing head-on into a pickup truck traveling west. The three men who died were all in the pickup truck.
After the woman collided with the pickup, it was then struck by another vehicle. The truck burst into flames, and witnesses described seeing a fireball as the truck exploded. The driver of the third vehicle was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries that were reported to be minor, while all others were killed. Police are not certain why the deceased woman was driving the wrong way, but they are waiting for toxicology test results so that it can be determined if the woman was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time.
When a family suffers the loss of a loved one in an accident caused by the negligence of another driver, the family is often left dealing with unexpected expenses and losses in addition to pain and grief. The survivors of the decedent may choose to recoup some of the financial damages through the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible driver. In the event the driver is also killed in the accident, the family may name the deceased driver’s estate as the defendant in the lawsuit.
Source: News 10, “4 dead in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 50 near Stockton Boulevard,” Hayley Guenthner and Carlos Saucedo, April 23, 2015.