A man and two children were killed when their car, a white Honda, crashed into a parked truck along the 5 Freeway near Castaic Lake. According to the KNBC News report, the collision occurred about 1:00 a.m. this morning in the Newhall Pass area. From the video of the accident scene, it is hard to tell but the area of impact is described as a brake check area off the freeway. It is unknown whether any part of the trailer of the truck was in the travel lane. The precise cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The Role of Darkness in the Crash
Since the parked truck accident above happened while it was dark, one of the issues that quickly comes to the mind of an accident attorney is whether there were any lights operating on the tractor-trailer at the time of the accident. It is well known that distance and speed are much more difficult to judge at night. Consequently, when a driver approaches a stopped or parked vehicle on or just off a roadway it may difficult for the driver to tell he is approaching a stopped vehicle and at what distance. This perception of the driver can be improved if they are using their car’s headlights at the time. It is unknown what speed the Honda was traveling at the time of the impact, whether the headlights were on and what, if anything, may have led the driver to think the parked truck was moving.
Crashes Into Parked Trucks
In addition to the factors above, when a car crashes into a parked truck there can be issues of neglect on the part of the truck driver. For example, it is not terribly uncommon for a tractor-trailer to be stalled or parked off the side of the road, with a small part of the trailer being carelessly left within the travel lane. In that instance, the truck driver generally has a duty to warn other drivers approaching from behind of the hazard with either traffic cones or some other warning. A failure to do that can result in a driver believing, especially at night, that the parked truck is moving in the travel lane.
Contact an Auto Accident Attorney
When you or a loved one has been involved in a crash into a parked vehicle, an experienced Orange County Auto and Truck Accident Lawyer can help you determine whether you may be entitled to compensation. Just because the driver of a car collides with a parked vehicle, even a large truck, this doesn’t mean the driver of the car is the only one to blame. Mr. Ralph has nearly 30 years of experience as an auto accident attorney in Orange County. His office in the City of Orange is centrally located such that it allows his clients throughout Southern California easy access. Call Mr. Ralph at the number above for a free consultation or simply submit your potential case via email. Tags: parked truck crash, auto accident attorney