At approximately 3:12 PM on Sunday April 23, 2023, there was a fatal crash on the I-15 Freeway just north of State Route 76. According to California Highway Patrol, the accident took place in the Fallbrook/Pala Mesa area near Bonsal, and cost one adult female and a “very young juvenile” their lives.
The multi-car collision involved a black truck that flipped over, landing on its roof as well as a white Tesla sedan and a black sedan. Smoke was seen coming out of the black sedan after the crash. The pickup truck was allegedly traveling on a road that was adjacent to the southbound 15 when the truck left the roadway, drove through the fence and entered southbound lanes of traffic. The truck immediately struck the Tesla and black sedan.
CHP officers were on the scene quickly, and the southbound side of the 15 Freeway was still closed several hours later. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the scene at 3:37 PM. Reports are unclear as to which vehicle the fatality occurred in. Unfortunately, the accident caused further traffic chaos as several vehicles drove the wrong way on the shoulder and into the center divider to get clear of the mess, and some of those drivers were apparently driving aggressively to find an alternative route. The slowdown impacted a 12-mile stretch of the freeway in San Diego.
The specific ages of the deceased individuals were not immediately released, according to Captain John Choi of the North County Fire Protection District. In addition to the two deceased individuals, four other people were hurt. There was a toxicology test done, but the final report was not yet available. The pickup driver was one of the injured individuals and was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were described as life-threatening.
“This type of crash is awful, shocking and unimaginable,” said Gerald Singleton, Managing Partner of Singleton Schreiber. “The infant and woman whose lives are forever lost make this a truly tragic day.”
Singleton Schreiber San Diego truck accident attorneys can be reached at 619-367-7768 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
Fallbrook and Pala Mesa Truck Accident Attorneys
Truck accidents and rollover truck accidents in Fallbrook, Pala Mesa and throughout San Diego County are potentially deadly situations. They can result in traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death, severe spinal cord injuries and much more. The 15 Freeway is a major corridor for trucks of all kinds because it connects San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and even Las Vegas, Nevada. Pickup trucks, 18-wheelers and other types of trucks travel the 15 on a daily, even hourly, basis.
While the results of the toxicology report from this crash have yet to be made public, driving under the influence of alcohol or some other substance (such as marijuana, illegal narcotics and even prescription medication) is one potential cause. However, there are several other potential causes for these types of truck and car accidents, including:
- Driver fatigue or distraction
- Failure to check blind spots
- Unsafe merging or lane changing
- Illegal U-turns
- Defective parts
- Mechanical failures
- Negligent truck maintenance
- and much more
According to one news report, the truck jumped from a service lane onto the freeway, which could have also meant the road was in some way defective or that the truck was involved in a separate collision that led to this crash.
For the survivors of the woman and the infant, the next steps will be extremely difficult. Family members will hopefully first focus on mourning their loss, but issues of insurance, the cost of funeral expenses, talking to law enforcement officials and more are often a difficult part of this process.
San Diego Pickup Truck Accidents
The cars and truck(s) involved in this accident are hopefully all insured, but that creates other challenges. Each insurer will conduct its own investigation into the incident and will talk to their San Diego truck accident attorney to determine fault. With so many vehicles involved, it may be a long fight to determine liability. The truck driver, other vehicles, and auto parts manufacturers will all be looked at. If any of these vehicles were being driven for work, for example if the pickup driver was hauling goods or performing a service, this will also factor into the investigation.
“Investigating truck accidents is never easy, and when there are deaths involved it makes everything truly awful for the people involved,” said San Diego truck accident lawyer Gerald Singleton. “When our firm helps people involved in these kinds of situations, our first goal is to help comfort them and handle as much of the burden as possible so they can focus on helping their family cope with the loss and heal.”
Singleton Schreiber attorneys can be reached at 619-367-7768 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
