A 55-year-old Chula Vista man died in a SUV rollover on Interstate 5 in Kern County Friday morning, KBAK Eyewitness News reported. According to news reports in Bakersfield.com, the victim, Alex Ayson Solis, was driving a 2004 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle northbound on Interstate 5 shortly after 10 a.m., just south of Highway 46 when, for unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle. The car overturned multiple times and Solis, who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene of the crash.
The California Highway Patrol reported that there were six people inside the SUV. One other passenger was airlifted to Kern Medical Center with major injuries. Four others were taken to local hospitals by ground ambulance with moderate to major injuries. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Fatal Ford Explorer Rollover Accidents
There have be a number of fatal rollover accidents this year in Southern California involving Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles. On Sunday, April 25, 2010, a Canyon Country man when the 1999 Ford Explorer he was riding in overturned multiple times on the 14 Freeway in Agua Dulce. On Monday, April 5, 2010, a San Diego man died in a Ford Explorer rollover accident on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton. On Sunday, March 28, 2010, two people from, Rancho Cucamonga were killed in a rollover accident on Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass. On Thursday, March 4, 2010, two men were killed in a rollover accident on Interstate 40 involving a 2001 Mercury Mountaineer (Mercury Mountaineers are mechanically identical to Ford Explorers).
Liability Issues in Ford Explorer Rollover Accidents
Ford Explorer rollover rates are higher than the rates of the vehicle's competitors. Many of the injuries and fatalities sustained in rollover accidents can be attributed to design defects in the vehicles that cause them to be unstable and susceptible to overturn. In February of this year, a jury in West Valley Superior Court returned a 12-0 verdict ordering Ford Motor Company to pay $23.5 million to a woman paralyzed when her 1997 Ford Explorer overturned on Interstate 15 in 2007. At the trial for that accident, a jury saw evidence that Ford had been shown improvements that would make the vehicles safer, but did not implement them.
Ford Explorer Rollover Accident Attorneys
While the cause of this fatal May 21st rollover crash is under investigation, the families of all of the victims of this accident would be well-advised to consult with an experienced and skilled San Diego SUV rollover accident lawyer. If the design of the vehicle contributed to the rollover or the serious injuries of the passengers and the death of the driver, the manufacturer of the vehicle may be financially responsible for the injuries and death resulting from this accident. An attorney who has successfully won SUV rollover liability cases can help the victims hold the vehicle manufacturer accountable and obtain the maximum compensation they are entitled to for the wrongful death of a loved one or the serious injuries sustained in a crash.
Sources: Bakersfield Now, TurnTo23 ABC News, Bakersfield News
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