Tung Nguyen, 26, and Janet Mooshagian, 77, were fatally injured in a Fresno car accident after a motorcycle and Cadillac collided on a city street. According to a KFSN news report, the motorcycle accident occurred on Friant Road in Fresno, the afternoon of October 16, 2011. California Highway Patrol officials say that Nguyen was riding a motorcycle when it struck a Cadillac that was turning left into a private driveway. Nguyen was ejected from the vehicle and died from his injuries at the scene of the crash. Mooshagian was a passenger in the Cadillac who suffered fatal injuries. The 83-year-old driver of the Cadillac sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Tung Nguyen and Janet Mooshagian for their terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

Fresno Motorcycle Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), four people were killed and 68 were injured in Fresno motorcycle accidents. During that same year, nine fatalities and 166 injuries occurred as a result of Fresno County motorcycle accidents.

Left Turn Accidents

Officials say that the driver of the Cadillac was turning left into a private driveway when the collision happened. California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) states: "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety."

Liability Issues

In this particular case, if the elderly driver is determined to have been at fault, he or she can be held liable for Nguyen's wrongful death. In such cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, the family of the deceased victim may file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party seeking compensation for losses including medical expenses, funeral costs, lost future wages, loss of companionship, and other related damages. An experienced Fresno personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise victims' families about their legal rights and options.