Lucciana Francesca Colotta, 18, of Corona, was killed in a Riverside car accident after the vehicle in which she was passenger went out of control and crashed. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal car accident occurred the night of September 17, 2011 near the intersection of Hidden Valley Parkway and Via Blairo Circle in Norco. Officials say Colotta was a rear seat passenger in a Cadillac CTS driven by 23-year-old Antonelo Colotta. The vehicle went out of control and slid into a Hummer H2 SUV. Lucciana Francesca Colotta died at the scene. The driver suffered major injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition. The occupants of the Hummer were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family members and friends of Lucciana Francesca Colotta for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My thoughts and prayers also go out to Antonelo Colotta who has suffered major injuries in this crash.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were no fatalities, but 80 injuries involving Norco car accidents. In Riverside County as a whole, 203 people died and 7,974 were injured due to car accidents during the same year.

What Caused This Crash

Based on this news report, it is unclear as to what caused Antonelo Colotta to lost control of the Cadillac. Was there an auto defect or mechanical malfunction in the vehicle? Was there a dangerous condition on the roadway, which may have caused or contributed to this tragic accident? Did another driver cut into Colotta's lane of traffic or run him off the roadway? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.

Fault and Liability

If Antonelo Colotta is determined to have been at fault, then, he can be held liable for the injuries and damages caused here. If a vehicle defect caused this accident, then, the auto maker or manufacturer of the defective product can be held liable. Officials say Lucciana Francesca Colotta was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash. If I were a member of this victim's family, I would want to find out if she was not buckled up or if her seatbelt failed.

In such cases, it would be in the best interests of victims and their families to preserve the vehicle in its current condition, unaltered, so that an expert can thoroughly examine it for defects, malfunctions and other evidence. An experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer will advise injured victims and their families in such cases about their legal rights and options.