A San Diego woman was one of two people killed Sunday night in a head-on crash in Riverside County, authorities reported. The crash occurred moments before 11 p.m. on Highway 79, north of Gillman Springs Road. According to reports, Julia Chang Wen of San Diego was driving a mid-size pickup truck southbound on State Route 79 when she collided with a sports coupe driven by Dorothy Scott, 91, of Beaumont. One other person was critically injured in the accident and was taken to a local hospital.
The San Bernardino Sun reported that the Beaumont woman's sports car veered into southbound traffic, resulting in the collision with Wen's truck. It is not clear what caused this lane change, if Scott was attempting to pass another vehicle, or if she swerved to avoid something in the road, or if something was mechanically wrong with her vehicle. The California Highway Patrol-San Gorgonio is still investigating the accident.
Our thoughts go out to the families of both victims in this horrific head-on accident, and everyone who knew and loved them. Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.
If the news reports are accurate, Julia Chang Wen was not at fault for this accident. While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, her family would be well advised to speak with a wrongful death attorney about their legal rights. If she is found not at fault for the accident, her family may be entitled to compensation for the loss of their loved one. If the accident was the result of a dangerous condition in the highway, or a vehicle malfunction, both families may be entitled to compensation from the agency responsible for maintaining the roadway, or the manufacturer of the defective vehicle. An experienced San Diego wrongful death lawyer will be able to review the situation and help the family understand and protect their legal rights, whoever is responsible accountable for their loved one's wrongful death.
Sources: 10 News, San Bernardino Sun, Press-Enterprise
This blog and the San Bernadino Sun have reported incorrectly that Dorothy Scott "veered into southbound traffic". State Route 79 has a concrete barrier dividing the northbound and southbound lanes in the area north of Gilman Springs Road where the accident occured. Therefore, she could not have "veered". She was DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.