In the early morning hours of Monday, June 20, 2016, two men were seriously injured in a three-vehicle collision in Downtown Los Angeles. At about 3:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of Central Avenue at 16th Street in the vicinity of the entrance to the 10 Freeway, a car ran into a tanker truck which erupted into flames. Another car was also involved in the accident, which was caught on film by the security camera on a nearby building.
Driver trapped by flames
The crash occurred when a 22-year-old man driving a gray Honda Accord reportedly sped down 16th Street, headed the wrong direction on the one-way road. He was traveling at about 70 mph when he lost control. The Honda hit a dip in the road and then crashed head-on into the tanker and another car.
The driver of the truck saw the Honda coming and attempted to swerve it out of the way. The truck was carrying carbon monoxide, which is non-flammable and did not present a hazmat threat. The collision did, however, ignite a fire in the truck that quickly engulfed the Honda and also damaged the exterior of a nearby building. Several nearby streets were closed while authorities fought the fire.
Police needed to cut the roof off of the Honda to extract the driver, who was trapped in the fire; a witness tried to help . He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The 61-year-old truck driver was also hospitalized and listed in fair condition. Early reports were that someone died in the crash but these were later corrected.
Truck crash liability questions
With news of a fiery crash involving a large tanker truck, it is easy to wonder what went wrong. Accidents that involve large commercial trucks can be complicated because they involve state and federal regulations affecting what and how much they can carry, how the loads are secured, and even how long the drivers can remain on the road without a break. They also raise complex ownership and maintenance questions.
However, negligence of other drivers, rather than the truck driver, can ultimately be the cause of a truck crash. Everyone operating a motor vehicle is under a duty to act reasonably and follow traffic laws. If the driver is careless or breaks a safety law and that breach of duty leads to the crash, he may be liable for any injuries or other losses that it causes. The victims may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and funeral expenses if the accident results in a wrongful death.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident, call the Los Angeles car crash lawyers at the Salamati Firm. Our experienced legal team is dedicated to fighting for the rights of accident victims in the greater LA area. We offer a free confidential consultation to help you determine whether filing a lawsuit is right for you and to outline our recommended strategy. For a free case evaluation, call 888-259-4060.
Resources:
- ABC7.com, Tanker Truck Bursts Into Flames In Crash Near Downtown LA, http://abc7.com/news/tanker-truck-bursts-into-flames-in-crash-near-dtla;-2-injured/1392911/
- Los Angeles Times, Head-on crash triggers tanker truck explosion in downtown L.A., http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-tanker-explosion-downtown-crash-20160620-snap-story.html
