CARMICHAEL, Calif., Oct. 13, 2016– Two people were killed and one person injured after a car accident in Carmichael the evening of October 13. According to The Sacramento Bee, the collision occurred at Garfield Avenue and Kiva Drive. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson said a Lexus traveling at a high speed broadsided a Honda. The passenger of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver died afterward at a local hospital. The driver of the Lexus was also transported to a local hospital with injuries.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) 2013 rankings, there were 3,786 victims killed or injured due to car accidents in Sacramento County. 779 were speed related collisions.
Sacramento County Car Accident, Speed-Related Crash
Based on the officers’ initial investigation, alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision. However, the driver of the Lexus was speeding. Under California Vehicle Code Section 22350, “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.”
Driver Negligence and Liability
A person can be held liable for negligence where 1) there is a duty to act as a reasonable person would, 2) that person breaches his or her duty, 3) harm results, and 4) that person’s breach of duty causes the harm. Drivers owe a heightened duty to act reasonably due to the inherent danger of driving. Speeding can be a breach of this duty.
Don't Wait to Get Help
Speed is a critical factor in many car and motorcycle accidents. Traveling faster than the posted speed limit, or than would be reasonable under the conditions, can give rise to a negligence claim. If an accident results because of a driver’s speed, they are potentially at fault.Speed-related incidents should be investigated by a Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer. Call Kershaw Talley Barlow for a free case evaluation at (916) 520-6639.