1 Dead And 1 Seriously Injured Following Tragic California Crash

A driver without a license was arrested by police after running away from the scene of a single vehicle collision. In the unfortunate accident, which happened on a recent Wednesday, a woman from San Jose was killed. A pregnant 15-year-old girl was also critically injured.

The woman who died was only 18 years of age. She was riding as the front passenger of the car involved in the crash. According to the California Highway Patrol, the four-door Nissan drove off the cliff at approximately 1:15 a.m. After going airborne, the car collided with a tree, then came to a rest approximately 30 feet away from the road.

When CHP officers got to the accident site, they found the severely injured and pregnant 15-year-old on the side of the road. However, the driver was nowhere to be found. At approximately 8:30 a.m., the 29-year-old driver called the San Jose Police Department and turned himself in. Police arrested him on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and operating a vehicle without a license.

Police have since determined that the Nissan and its three occupants had been on a sightseeing trip, and they were driving as a part of a caravan with other vehicles. When the other vehicle drivers noticed that the Nissan was missing, they went back to look for the car.

At this time, authorities have not revealed why this crash may have occurred. However, as police complete their investigations into the accident, details relating to its cause will likely emerge. Those details may be useful to the accident victims — and family members of the woman who died — should they choose to pursue personal injury claims and/or wrongful death claims in California court relating to this unfortunate incident.

Source: San Jose Mercury News, “Saratoga crash: Driver surrenders after fleeing scene of San Jose teen’s death,” Mark Gomez, Aug. 03, 2016