According to CBS Los Angeles, a motorcycle rider was killed in a three-vehicle crash on I-605. While many of the details have not yet been released, there is one thing that is almost certainly true: The family of the victim is likely dealing with one of the worst weeks of their lives. As more information is released and fault becomes clearer, that family may need to contact a motorcycle accident attorney.
The Crash Occurred North of Alondra Boulevard
The accident occurred just after 5 am north of Alondra Boulevard. One of the three involved vehicles landed on its roof and the body of the said car was straddling both left lanes and the carpool lane. According to witnesses, the motorcycle was traveling at high speed when it hit a vehicle, which resulted in the vehicle overturning. The body of the person riding the motorcycle was lodged within the wreckage of that overturned vehicle.
Currently, there is no word on the age or gender of the person on the motorcycle. The California Highway Patrol has also not released information on the other vehicles and their occupants, including their names, ages, or conditions. The assumption is that others survived as news of the death of the motorcyclist has been released.
Following the accident, the carpool lane and three left lanes were shut down completely for a few hours. The freeway did not fully reopen for about three and a half hours, at 8:30 AM, once emergency services had left the scene and the preliminary investigation was done.
Who is at Fault for the Accident?
It is too early to say. The only information we have is that the person on the motorcycle was traveling at high speed and struck a vehicle. That may sound bad but there could be several factors at play. First, we do not know that the witness’s account is accurate. In California, lane-splitting is legal, which means that motorcycle riders can legally ride between two lanes of auto traffic, provided they follow a number of rules – including not traveling faster than the posted speed limit.
If traffic was very slow and the person on the motorcycle was lane-splitting, it may have looked as though they were driving very fast when they were actually following the law. In this case, it could be that the vehicle the motorcycle hit was not looking and switched lanes, causing the motorcycle to crash.
Of course, this is only one possibility. It may have been the fault of the motorcyclist or several people may share the blame. Regardless, if the family of the motorcyclist believes that their family member was not 100% at fault, they may have legal options. If you are in a position like this, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
