One person was killed and two others were sent to the hospital with major injuries after two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on Highway 126. The accident occurred east of Filmore around 10:15 a.m. on Monday, February 27.
WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF THE HEAD-ON COLLISION?
A 64-year-old man and 66-year-old woman from Palmdale were found in a 2000 Mercury. The man was the driver of the car and he was found trapped in the wreckage. The female passenger was unresponsive when authorities arrived.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was sent to Ventura County Medical Center for his severe injuries. Moreover, officials said that both of the victims were wearing their seat belts.
Two days after the accident, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the female passenger in the Mercury. The woman was revealed to be Esperanza Arinaga.
WHAT CAUSED THE HEAD-ON COLLISION?
According to the VC Star, the 64-year-old driver of the Mercury was heading eastbound on Highway 126. Suddenly, the vehicle drifted into oncoming westbound traffic. Highway patrol stated that there is no known reason for why this took place. Police officers noted that the weather on February 27 was rainy, wet, and cool. The 64-year-old male was also driving at an unspecified “high rate of speed” for the rainy weather.
The Mercury crashed into a 2013 BMW head-on. CHP reported that the BMW was traveling westbound at the time of the accident.
The driver of the BMW was a 24-year-old woman from Valencia. CHP reported that she was removed from her vehicle and treated at the scene of the crash. She was also sent to the Ventura County Medical Center for her severe injuries.
One of the vehicles was on fire when the Ventura County Fire Department arrived.
The head-on collision caused the highway to close for about one hour. Then, traffic was alternating along the eastbound lanes for a certain period of time.
It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the cause of the accident. In fact, no arrests were made at the scene.
Witnesses who have not already provided a statement are advised to call the CHP’s Moorpark-area office at (805) 553-0800.
SECOND ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 126 CAUSES WRONGFUL DEATH
The head-on collision on Monday, February 27 was the second car accident on Highway 126 within four days. A woman named Delia Price was killed on the same highway on Friday, February 24. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman as a 48-year-old from Valencia.
Price was west of Fillmore when she was driving westbound in a Honda Civic. This was also a rainy day with a wet roadway. Around noon, an oncoming Dodge Durango spun out of control and crashed into Price’s vehicle.
The at-fault driver was a 30-year-old woman from Santa Paula. She was driving the Durango and suffered major injuries as a result of the accident. In addition, drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash.
Accidents like these should never happen and it is a true tragedy when one does occur. Our hearts go out to the victims of both devastating accidents.
If you have any questions regarding a head-on collision case, you should contact a Personal Injury Attorney immediately.