A commercial truck accident in Riverside has got local residents talking about what could have been done to prevent it. Read on to learn more about the specifics of the accident, the injuries, and why people believe that it could have been prevented.
The driver of a truck in this deadly accident should not have been driving
After considering all the facts in the case, many people believe that this man should not have been driving at all. Victor Esteban Galvan, the owner of the truck and the driver at the time of the accident, has both convictions and citations, including one for failing to keep a current log book. He also had a citation for not getting his truck inspected on a regular schedule as required by law.
There are other violations too. For example, his big rig’s registration had expired. Likewise, he was driving with an expired medical certificate. There’s also evidence that he’d been driving for more than eight hours without a break, which is against regulations. In short, there is a long paper train that’s leading many people to wonder how this man stayed on the road and driving a commercial truck in the first place.
The crash had deadly consequences
This wreck was anything but minor. Four people died in the accident, and another 22 were hospitalized. According to reports, it happened when a bus was traveling east on Interstate 10. The bus was just east of Blythe a little after 2 AM when it veered to the right in order to miss a load of pipes that had been spilled from the big rig discussed above. The interstate was blocked in both directions and not entirely reopened for 16 hours.
The California Highway Patrol report that the bus, which was coming from El Paso, had stopped in Phoenix, and had a final destination of Los Angeles, skidded across the right lane, skidded on the right shoulder, and then went through a fence and 50 feet down an embankment. It eventually came to rest on its left side.
The truck was passing when it spilled its pipes
Of course, this all happened to the bus because of the truck driven by Galvan. Reports show that he was trying to pass vehicles on the interstate. He drifted on to the dirt shoulder, which is when he lost control of his truck. As a result, it jackknifed and the pipes were spilled on both east and westbound lands. Two vehicles traveling east hit the pipes and crashed, but there were no injuries in those accidents.
The survivors need a good personal injury attorney
According to the information that’s been released thus far, it seems clear that those involved in the accident have a clear personal injury case against the truck driver. It should be noted that he was not seriously injured in the accident.
Those who’ve lived through something similar, or lost a loved one in an accident, should reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 right away for a free legal consultation.
