Personal Injury Attorney in San Diego, California

Man seriously injured at amusement park

JDC — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:17:27 +0000

A man is seriously injured after an accident at Knott’s Soak City in Chula Vista on July 31^st. Investigations show that 28-year-old Ernesto Garcia violated the park’s rules when he failed to wait for lifeguards to assist him out of a raft. He instead dove into shallow water and hit his head. Mr. Garcia is hospitalized and his wife claims that he may be paralyzed.

One dead and two injured in Temecula

JDC — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:10:32 +0000

One person is dead and two are injured after an accident in Temecula on August 2^nd. 23-year-old Fenton Lee McCullah was traveling on Danube Court, which is a cul-de-sac off
Rancho California Road and Yukon Court. Mr. McCullah lost control of his vehicle, causing it to roll. Mr. McCullah died at the scene. One passenger received major injuries and a third occupant suffered minor injuries.

Premises liability case settled

JDC — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:19:01 +0000

A settlement has been reached in a premises liability lawsuit after a 2005 accident. 69-year-old Joy Jaeger was walking along a walkway in front of The Fish House Vera Cruz in
San Marcos when her foot got stuck in a pothole. Ms. Jaeger fell, resulting in a fractured elbow and facial lacerations. Her injuries required stitches to her left eye and three surgeries for an implant in her elbow. She also needed physical therapy and still suffers from pain and limited range of motion.

Ms. Jaegar sued Butler Properties, the owner of the facility, for premises liability because the pothole caused the walkway to be dangerous. Butler Properties argued that the victim actually fell on the neighboring property.

The case was settled for $210,000.

Man killed in Pauma Valley crash

JDC — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:30:31 +0000

A man was killed in Pauma Valley on July 29^th. 47-year-old Buick Tuua was traveling westbound on Route 76 east of Valley Center Road when he lost control of his flatbed truck, which was carrying a wood chipper. The vehicle ran off the road and into an orange grove. Mr. Tuua was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. It does not appear that Mr. Tuua had alcohol or drugs in his system, but he may have been speeding.

Soldier killed in Paradise Hills

JDC — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:07:45 +0000

A man was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Paradise Hills on July 30^th. A 27-year-old man was traveling on Sky Harbor Road in a military housing area when he appeared to purposely strike three men leaning against another vehicle. A 20-year-old sailor was dragged and became stuck underneath the driver’s car. Firefighters removed him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other men received minor injuries. It is not known why the driver appeared to target the three men. Witnesses stated that they heard the man revving his engine and speeding. After the accident, a group of bystanders assaulted the driver. He will be hospitalized for several days with facial fractures. The driver may face felony charges if tests results show that drugs or alcohol were in his system at the time of the crash. The men who attacked the driver may also face assault charges.

Two killed after crash in Ramona

JDC — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:03:25 +0000

Two people were killed and two hospitalized after an accident in Ramona on July 22^nd. 35-year-old Shannon Shimp was traveling eastbound on Route 78 when he lost control of his pickup truck. The vehicle drifted into oncoming traffic, colliding with a Lexus. Mr. Shimp’s truck then flipped, landing on top of the Lexus. The truck’s passenger, 52-year-old Joseph Edwards, and the Lexus driver, 19-year-old Ian Kinney, both died at the scene. 18-year-old Tessa Medearis, a passenger in the Lexus, was flown to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido with major injuries, along with Mr. Shimp.

Mr. Shimp appeared to be intoxicated and was booked into county jail after his release from the hospital. He is being charged with one count of gross vehicular manslaughter, two counts of driving under the influence resulting in bodily injury, and one count of driving on a suspended license.

Bird Rock residents worry about dangerous intersection

JDC — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:27:59 +0000

After the death of a woman in La Jolla, local residents are angry that their complaints about the dangerous intersection did not seem to be taken seriously. 67-year-old Graciella Mejia Martinez was killed earlier this month when she was struck by a pickup truck at La Jolla Mesa Drive and Van Nuys Street. Her granddaughter says that Ms. Martinez was always fearful of crossing that intersection, and local residents say they’ve been fighting since 2000 to get a traffic light or stop sign. They feel the intersection is dangerous because drivers speed through as they use the street as a shortcut. They are concerned that neighborhood children must cross this intersection on the way to school and there is no crossing guard. However, police don’t feel the danger is that serious, and that residents often do not have a realistic view. In researching this type of complaint, they often find that there are not as many accidents as the residents may think, and the dangerous drivers are often the residents themselves. The city’s transportation engineering department has evaluated the intersection four times since 2000, and the road has been narrowed and bright signs have been posted in an attempt to slow down traffic and help drivers notice pedestrians. However, the department did not feel that a traffic light or stop sign were necessary. Residents still insist the intersection is dangerous, and City Councilman Kevin Faulconer has received complaints about the area. After the death of Ms. Martinez, he has ordered a new analysis of the traffic in the Bird Rock neighborhood in order to propose traffic-reducing measures. It should be completed sometime in August. Residents are planning to meet on the corner every Sunday until they feel their concerns are heard.

Charges filed in swimming pool death

JDC — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:07:20 +0000

The president of a swimming pool company is charged after the death of a 6-year-old boy in
Connecticut. The child, Zachary Cohn, drowned in 2007 when his arm became trapped in an intake valve in his family’s pool. The president of Shoreline Pools, David Lionetti, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter because his company failed to install safety devices when they built the pool for the Cohn family. Mr. Lionetti could receive up to 10 years in prison if he is found guilty. Since 1985, there have been 48 deaths cases similar to Zachary Cohn’s, and over 100 serious injuries.

Cyclist killed in Hillcrest

JDC — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:53:23 +0000

A bicyclist was killed in an accident on July 18^th in Hillcrest. 22-year-old Atip Oupron was traveling eastbound on University Avenue when he was struck by pickup truck after making a left on Park Boulevard on a red light. Mr. Oupron was transported to UCSD
Medical Center where he later died.

Hit-and-run driver still at large

JDC — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:38:03 +0000

Three people were killed in an accident in Temecula on June 29^th. 48-year-old Camp
Pendleton serviceman Andres Cruz Sanagustin, his 30-year-old wife Maribeth, and their 4-year-old son Angelo were traveling northbound on Warren Road when a pickup truck crossed the center dividing lines and struck their vehicle. All three occupants died. The driver of the pickup truck, 30-year-old Chad Isaac Huber, was taken from the scene by another driver, Jarred Benjamin Abatti. Mr. Abatti was found and arrested three days later, however, Mr. Huber has still not been located.