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Agoura Hills Jogger Killed in Oak Park Car Accident

When emergency personnel first arrived at the scene of the car accident at Lindero Canyon Road in Oak Park, they didn’t even know there had been a jogger involved until they saw her shoes lying on the sidewalk. The rescue crew had to use special thermal cameras, and chainsaws to locate and extricate the woman, lying dead, trapped beneath thick vegetation, after being struck by a motorist.

The driver Nicholas LaGrotta, a resident of Santa Rosa Valley was driving his Subaru Forester on the road near Bowfield Street at 6:30 am when he apparently lost control, and veered off the road. The car plowed through signs and thick brush growth before coming to a stop. Karey Marsh, a 46-year-old Agoura Hills resident was jogging on the jogging path near the road, and was hit by LaGrotta’s car. According to the Ventura County Sheriffs’ Department, she was thrown at least 30 feet in the air. Her body fell deep inside the brush, where it lay until emergency personnel responding to the car accident found her shoes, and suspected that more than one person had been hurt. Her location was determined by thermal cameras. Chainsaws were used to cut though the brush to extricate her body.

LaGrotta himself suffered three broken vertebrae’s and several abrasions. He told police that he had no idea that he had hit somebody. He was taken to the hospital, and after blood alcohol tests determined that he was driving under the influence of alcohol, was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, friends who knew Marsh remember her as a woman who was always pushing others to put their health and fitness first. An avid fitness enthusiast, she was a familiar sight to joggers in the area, and had been teaching fitness classes at a local gym facility. She was a fun loving person, whose zest for life was unmatched, friends told the media.

From all accounts, Marsh seems to have been full of enthusiasm, with a great deal to offer the world. This woman could have been a great contributor to society. None of her dreams will be realized anymore, because one reckless 23-year-old saw it fit to get drunk at 6:30 am in the morning, and head on out in his car. What kind of irresponsible behavior is it to be out at that hour in the early morning when you’re in no state to drive?

The impact of the drunk driving accident was immense, judging from the fact that Marsh’s body was thrown so far, it was discovered only a while later. We have no way of knowing yet if death was instantaneous, or whether she spent agonizing moments trapped in the brush, waiting for help. LaGrotta, on the other hand was quite lucky. He not only escaped with moderate injuries, but also managed to get the emergency treatment that he needed. Karey Marsh didn’t have that luxury.

For his irresponsible and reckless behavior, we hope that the law takes a firm stand against LaGrotta.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

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