Car accident injures eight students in Southern California
Auto accidents can cause serious personal injury, even at slow speeds. When an auto accident involves pedestrians, the consequences can be disastrous. For example, eight high school students were injured recently when a pickup truck ran a red light near a Southern California high school and slammed into them, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Three of the students were listed in critical condition initially, but reports indicate that their prognosis has improved. Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley, however, has thus far declined to confirm any condition reports.
Surveillance video cameras in the area caught the car accident on tape. The video indicates that the pickup truck, a 1994 Ford Ranger, was going in excess of 25 miles per hour as it went through the intersection where around 30 students were crossing the street.
CHP has ruled out drunk driving, reporting that the driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Next up for the investigation is an inspection of the Ford Ranger, which may indicate that the accident was the result of a mechanical failure. The truck had been modified for off-road use and appeared to speed up through the intersection.
Police have not decided whether to file criminal charges yet. Even if police do not file criminal charges, however, the driver may still have to see the inside of a courtroom. The injured students may decide to file personal injury lawsuits against him to recover the cost of their medical treatment and other harm.
On the other hand, if the truck failed to work properly because of the modifications to it, the driver may want to consider filing an action against the company that made the modifications as well as those responsible for installing them.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Hemet High Car Crash: 9 Hurt When Pickup Truck Slams Into Crowded Crosswalk,” May 31, 2012