Anthony Andrade, 33, and Vincente Santos, 25, were killed in a Solano County car accident involving a drunk driver. According to an article in The Report, the fatal DUI collision occurred on the Interstate 80 in Fairfield, the morning of January 29, 2012. Officials say Michelle Henry, 42, was under the influence when she rear-ended a Ford Explorer with her Buick Lucerne. The impact caused Andrade, the driver of the Explorer, to lose control and the SUV to overturn on the roadway. As Andrade and his front-seat passenger, Floyd Williams, Jr., were attempting to free Santos from the back seat, a 2005 Toyota Corolla driven by 35-year-old Michael Soto of Sacramento struck the Explorer.

Andrade and Santos were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, but it is unclear if Santos suffered fatal injuries in the first or second collision. Williams and Soto suffered minor injuries. Henry faces felony DUI causing injury charges and Soto could face vehicular manslaughter charges depending upon the outcome of the investigation.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Anthony Andrade and Vincente Santos for their terrible loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Noah Ferrer, 11, and three brothers, aged 35, 37 and 39, were killed in a San Bernardino County car accident, the night of January 29, 2012. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the fatal car accident occurred at the intersection of Base Line Road and Cherry Avenue in Fontana. Officials say a Chevy Suburban ran through a red light before shearing off the back of a 1998 Honda, striking a Toyota and an utility pole. Noah, who was a passenger in the Honda, suffered fatal injuries and died later in surgery. Of the occupants in the SUV, the three brothers died from their injuries. Officials are looking into what caused this tragic accident.

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The driver of the Muni bus that ran over and killed Emily Dunn in a horrific pedestrian accident at a Castro intersection will face criminal charges. According to a news report in The Bay Citizen, the fatal accident occurred August 11, 2011 at the intersection of Hartford and 18th streets. Police said the 23-year-old Dunn had almost finished crossing Hartford Street when a Muni bus turning from 18th Street hit and crushed her under its wheels. The driver, Wallace Loggins, has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He could face up to one year in county jail if convicted.

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A 40-year-old pedestrian was killed in a Victorville car accident when a 1998 Chevy sedan struck him, during the early morning hours of January 23, 2012. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the pedestrian accident occurred along Palmdale Road near Monte Vista Road in Victorville. There is no mention in the report if the 31-year-old Phelan man who was driving the Chevy will be cited for the crash. Officials are still investigating the cause of this fatal collision.

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January 23, 2012--Newark, CA--an innocent man lost his life Monday during a high-speed chase of three burglary suspects with extensive criminal histories.  Authorities verified that a Fremont man, whose name has not been released, was driving a Honda sedan on Cherry Street and Mowry Avenue.  He was struck by the airborne vehicle of three men running from the police in connection with a burglary charge.  The victim was killed instantly in an impact that was heard for several blocks.

Police maintain that they were not chasing the vehicle with the three suspects at the time of the accident, but had called off the pursuit due to the dangerous nature of the chase.  Police had earlier attempted to make a traffic stop in relation to a 911 call received about a burglary.  When the officer attempted to stop the suspects' vehicle, the driver eluded the officer, driving at a high rate of speed.  Witnesses estimated the car was traveling up to 80 miles per hour as it left the scene.  Although police initially pursued the car, the pursuit was called off due to the dangerous nature of the chase.  The suspects' vehicle struck the victim's car about a mile and a half from the point where police allegedly stopped pursuit.

The suspects were taken into custody shortly after the accident.

My prayers and condolences go out to the victim's family at this time. More

Melissa Ortiz, 36, was killed in a Ventura car accident involving a collision between a car and a dump truck. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the fatal crash occurred on Foothill Road near Santa Paula, the afternoon of January 18, 2012. Officials say Ortiz may have lost control of her car before it veered into oncoming traffic and entered the path of the dump truck. The driver of the truck, Ronald Gray, 49, attempted to avoid the collision but could not do so. Ortiz was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and Gray sustained minor injuries to his head.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends Melissa Ortiz following this tragic accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Adelina Gonzalez, 45, was killed in a Riverside car accident after a vehicle struck her. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the night of January 16, 2012 near the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Pedley Road in the Glen Avon section of Jurupa Valley. Officials say Gonzalez was crossing the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle. The details of the incident have not yet been released.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Adelina Gonzalez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Victor Arenas, 20, was killed in a Ventura car accident, which officials say involved a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the fatal car crash occurred along the 101 Highway near the Faria Beach campground in Ventura, the morning of January 15, 2012. Officials say 20-year-old Abram Pineda of Santa Paula may have been under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of the vehicle, in which Arenas was a passenger, and crashed into an RV.

Arenas died at the scene of the crash. Pineda and Anthony Daniel Saenz, 20, suffered minor injuries. Passengers in the motor home, 72-year old Peggy Booth, 66-year old James Booth, and Clara Glanville, 56, also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Pineda was arrested after attempting to flee the scene on foot.

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A 55-year-old San Jose man was killed in a San Francisco area car accident when the vehicle in which he was traveling went out of control and crashed, the night of January 7, 2012. According to a report in The San Jose Mercury News, the fatal DUI collision occurred along the northbound Interstate 680 in Fremont. Officials say a Dodge Caravan driven by Salvador Espino, 55, was traveling up to 90 miles per hour when it veered through traffic, through the center median, went off the roadway and crashed into two trees. The right side of the minivan was sheared off and the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Espino faces several charges including DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

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Ray Rogers, 67, was killed in a Modesto car accident, which police say, involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a News 10 report, the fatal hit-and-run accident occurred at the intersection of Sutter Avenue and Rouse Avenue in Modesto, the morning of January 6, 2012. Officials say Rogers was crossing the road on his bicycle when a white pickup truck struck him. He succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. Officials are asking for the public's help to find this hit-and-run driver. An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 209-652-2260 or send a text message anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 274637 and type "TIP704" with the message.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Ray Rogers following this tragic hit-and-run car accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), Modesto bicycle accidents claimed the life of one person and injured 73. Throughout Stanislaus County, there was one fatality and 134 injuries reported due to bicycle accidents during the same year.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

Based on this news report, the driver of the white pickup hit the bicyclist and then drove away without calling the authorities or stopping to offer help. Appalling! Leaving the scene of an accident when someone has been hurt is not only inhumane and irresponsible, but it is also illegal.

California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident."

Holding Hit-and-Run Drivers Accountable

Officials are searching for the driver and the white pickup involved in this crash. If you have any information about this accident, please visit our web site, www.hitandrunreward.com. Our site allows witnesses to provide an anonymous tip and also become eligible to receive a $1,000 reward.

The family of a deceased hit-and-run victim would be well advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Modesto personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. A skilled car accident attorney will be able to better inform families in such cases about how their own auto insurance policy applies to an incident where the suspect is not found, or, in a crash where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.