Baldwin Park CHP Pursuit Crash at 10 Freeway Off-Ramp Kills at Least 3

At about 4:10 a.m., officers saw a red 2011 Toyota Corolla traveling in an unsafe manner on the westbound 10 Freeway near Holt Avenue and tried to pull it over, the CHP said, as reported by NBC Los Angeles and MyNewsLA. The driver did not yield, fled at high speeds, and left the freeway at Francisquito Avenue. On the off-ramp, the car failed to make a curve and hit a concrete wall, according to the CHP. NBC Los Angeles reported that no other vehicles were involved.

Officers found all four people in the car unconscious and gave them first aid, the CHP said. The driver died at the scene, and two passengers died after being taken to hospitals. A fourth occupant was hospitalized with major injuries, NBC Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times reported. SGV CityWatch later reported that the CHP said the fourth occupant had also died.

The CHP’s Southern Division Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team and Critical Incident Investigation Team are handling the investigation. Reports so far do not say how long the pursuit lasted or the car’s exact speed. A SigAlert closed the westbound Francisquito Avenue off-ramp after the crash, NBC Los Angeles reported. We may update this article as the CHP shares more.

A driver’s death does not end the claims of the people that driver harmed. California lets a claim covered by the driver’s liability insurance go forward against the estate without joining the estate’s personal representative as a party, and recovery in that kind of case generally comes from the insurance (Probate Code §§550, 554). Questions about coverage can also involve the car’s owner and the passengers’ own auto policies.

A wrongful death claim belongs to particular family members: a spouse or domestic partner and children, or, when there are none, the relatives who would inherit, such as parents (Code of Civil Procedure §377.60). Our page on who can file a wrongful death claim in California walks through the order.

Families also ask whether an agency that ran a pursuit can be held responsible. A public agency is generally immune from liability for injuries caused by a fleeing driver if it has adopted a written pursuit policy and trains its officers on it every year as state law requires (Vehicle Code §17004.7). Any claim against a public agency also faces a short deadline, generally six months. This general summary of California law is not legal advice, and the facts of each crash decide which rules apply.

Wilshire Law Firm may be able to help people hurt and families who lost someone in the Baldwin Park crash. Our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers work from the firm’s Los Angeles office and represent San Gabriel Valley clients in car accident claims, including fatal crashes and wrongful death cases.

For a grieving family, we can request the CHP collision report, look for the insurance policies that may apply, and handle the calls with insurers. Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers page explains how these cases move forward, and you can meet our attorneys. We also wrote about a Chula Vista crash that raised similar questions about claims against a driver who died.

A crash like this leaves families with hard questions and little warning. A Wilshire Law Firm legal professional can talk with you at no cost, any time, and there are no fees unless you get paid.

Contact Wilshire Law Firm today.