A horrible tragedy has occurred as a Fresno tow truck accident cost the life of one woman Wednesday morning in North Fresno.
The truck crash occurred in the early morning hours on Wednesday, April 12, as a sedan and a flatbed tow truck collided near the intersection of Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue. There was a significant shut down in the roadway as police sought to determine what was the cause of the crash and who was at fault.
The victim, Amaya Chenot, 22, was identified by the Fresno County Coroner on Wednesday.
After the incident, the tow truck driver remained on the scene and spoke to police.
“Accidents like these alter the lives of everyone involved in the crash, as well as their families” said Gerald Singleton, Managing Partner of Singleton Schreiber. “A family will surely miss this young woman forever, a truly awful situation.”
There is a YouTube video dedicated to this particular intersection, and it seems to show the two truck running a red light when it t-boned the sedan in question. This particular YouTube page is dedicated to the intersection of Friant and Shepherd and the Description of the page claims it’s “one of the most dangerous intersections in the city.” The description alleges the intersection has a complex layout and confusing signals.
Singleton Schreiber tow truck accident attorneys can be reached at 559-702-0846 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
Fresno Tow Truck Accidents
Fresno is a city that is growing for a variety of reasons. High real estate prices have pushed residents of larger cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose, into areas such as Fresno where housing is more affordable. However, Fresno is already a city that boasts a proud farming community, a well-known university and more.
When tow truck accidents such as this occur, it could be the result of any number of issues. As this crash occurred at 12:45 AM, one can imagine any number of issues ranging from fatigue to other reasons for impairment.
The average tow truck can weigh between 8,600 and 10,000 pounds. With the average car weighing 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, this is a clear mismatch. In the video, the truck was driving at a decent speed, as was the sedan the truck crashed into. The sheer force of both vehicles makes it extremely difficult for the drivers and passengers to avoid serious injury, or in this case, a wrongful death.
Fresno Tow Truck Crash Statistics
While Fresno is not one of California’s five largest cities, it has an undue amount of fatalities resulting from truck accidents. In 2020 and 2021, there were more than 428 truck accidents (including tow truck accidents) in Fresno County. This resulted in 44 deaths, meaning that more than 10% of all truck accidents in Fresno result in fatalities to one or more individuals. In Santa Clara, that number is far lower, just 3.3% of truck accidents resulted in deaths there. In Los Angeles, it’s less than 3%.
No studies have been done to examine why there are so many tow truck accident deaths in Fresno, or why so many of them lead to death. There could be any number of factors:
- Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Two truck drivers exhausted from being overworked
- Poor maintenance of the tow trucks involved in the accident
The list goes on.
What is clear is that those involved in truck accidents in Fresno are far more at risk for any number of serious injury.
“The people of Fresno deserve better, this woman certainly deserved better,” Mr. Singleton added. “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones who will be mourning her loss. We hope the Fresno Police Department will be able to uncover the true reason this incident occurred.”
In 2020, there were 67 fatal vehicle accidents, 73 people killed, 40 of those people were pedestrians, and those number are much higher than in 2019.
Anyone involved in a Fresno tow truck crash should contact an accomplished attorney as soon as possible. While police will do an investigation, it may take a private investigation to truly uncover how and why this accident occurred.
Those who have been injured in Fresno County tow truck accidents, can contact Singleton Schreiber at 559-702-0846 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
