Man Arrested After Fatal Multi Vehicle Crash in Fresno

A man suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol during a four vehicle accident that killed 3 people and injured five in Fresno last Wednesday, has been arrested.

According to news reports, Willie Rivera Jr. was driving against traffic with three cars, a Honda Civic and a Ford and a Daewoo approaching in the opposite direction. The resulting accident was almost inevitable. Rivera’s car hit the Ford, and then the Honda Civic. At the end of the collision, three passengers were dead and one motorist Sergio Barrier Jr., suffered major injuries. The dead included a 14-year-old girl, a 21-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man. The driver of the Ford, his passenger, and the driver of the third car received minor injuries. Rivera was also injured in the crash. He has now been arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

Driving against oncoming traffic puts a driver in a direct collision path with oncoming vehicles. Most of the time, car accidents involving motorists driving the wrong way can be traced to errors made by the motorist. A motorist may miss warning signs that alert drivers to the right route to enter a highway.

Car accidents resulting from wrong way driving are not as frequent as drunk driving or speeding-related accidents. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wrong way driving accidents kill as many as 300 people every year. Alcohol use is also a major factor in wrong way driving. A person driving under the influence of alcohol may suffer from impaired judgment. Drunk drivers are more likely to make the kind of dangerous errors that lead to them driving against the traffic on a crowded highway.

Although these kinds of car accidents are less frequent and result in fewer numbers of fatalities and injuries each year, they are much more likely to result in devastating car accidents. That’s because other motorists may not be able to stop their cars in time to avoid the wrong way driver. The increased number of fatalities and injuries are also due to the fact that these are head-on collisions, involving two or more automobiles at high speed. Because more than one vehicle may spot the wrong way driver and be forced to avoid them, these accidents usually end as multi-vehicle pileups, with possible multiple injuries and fatalities.

Persons injured in an auto accident caused by the wrong way driving of another motorist may also be liable for compensation from the motorist. Just like in other motor vehicle accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers, wrong way drivers can be named in an injury or wrongful death claim. Besides, if the wrong way driving occurred because of the absence of signs alerting drivers, then state or local agencies responsible for the signage can also be named in any claim resulting from these injuries. California personal injury lawyers may be able to determine responsibility for the accident and file a claim.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving 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.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.