[07-24-2022] Tehama County, CA – DUI Two-Vehicle Collision Results into Major Injuries on Highway 99W

According to the authorities, two drivers suffered major injuries in a two-vehicle DUI collision near Richfield Sunday, July 24, 2022.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred Sunday night on Highway 99W near Richfield.

John H., 75, of Springfield, Missouri, was driving a 2003 Ford F150 north on the highway just south of Sonoma Avenue when the pickup veered off the road onto the gravel shoulder, according to the California Highway Patrol Red Bluff office.

According to reports, Havel overcorrected the car, sending it sideways into the northbound lane and directly into the path of Juan S., 21, of Corning, who was driving a southbound 2004 Honda Accord.

Salazar’s Honda, unable to avoid the collision, slammed into the pickup’s passenger side, sending the sedan’s front end under Havel’s Ford.

Salazar needed to be pulled from the Honda, and both drivers were seriously hurt.

Havel was taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff after being detained by a CHP officer on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Salazar was taken by medical helicopter to Enloe Medical Center in Chico, where his condition was listed as critical.

Investigations into the crash are still ongoing.

DUI Crash Statistics

A fundamental human right is the safety of the roads. Drunk drivers endanger not only their own lives but also the lives of innocent people. In California and across the nation, much work must be done to reduce the number of people driving after drinking.

Nearly 10,000 people per year are killed in DUI accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Around 18 percent of fatal auto accidents, according to the CDC, involve alcohol or drugs.

According to the NHTSA, drunk driving accidents claim the lives of about 30 Americans daily. Drunk driving is to blame for more than a quarter of all traffic-related fatalities in the US. More than 60% of these drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have blood alcohol concentrations above the permitted limit.

In 2018, 127,250 DUI arrests were made in California, and 474 of those involved minors under the age of 18. This is an increase from the statewide total of 123,548 DUI arrests made the year before. 4,944 of them had criminal charges brought against them. The number of DUI arrests fell by 5% in 2017.

DUI Accident Lawyers in Fresno County

Driving while intoxicated is obviously negligent because it falls under the definition of negligence, which is reckless or careless behavior that harms another party. It is one of the riskiest types of negligent driving, in fact.

When it comes to vehicle accidents, California is a no-fault state. The victim must first prove that the other party was to blame for the accident in order to hold them legally liable for injuries sustained in a car accident. Typically, the legal concept of “negligence” serves as the foundation for liability.

At Arash Law, our Fresno County drunk driving accident lawyers are tenacious, aggressive advocates for victims of DUI accidents. The heinous and dangerous actions of drunk drivers must be punished. Justice must be served to DUI accident victims. Our law firm is committed to helping injured people receive the maximum amount of compensation possible to cover their medical expenses and support their families. Please get in touch with our legal team if you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident in California.

The lawyers at Arash Law are available to help you with your claim. Please get in touch with one of our offices in Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Riverside, Orange County, or San Diego if you have any questions or concerns. For a free consultation with one of our attorneys, call us at (888) 488-1391.