Late on Saturday, May 18th, the wrong-way driver responsible for causing a head-on collision on I-8 was struck and killed while trying to flee the accident scene near La Mesa.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that the incident occurred around 11:40 pm. The wrong-way driver was a male driving a white Chevrolet truck, he was traveling west in the eastbound lanes of I-8 when he hit a Honda Accord head-on just east of 70th Street.
The driver of the Honda was also a male, and he suffered major injuries in the accident. CHP said he was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego for treatment.
According to authorities, after the crash, the truck driver attempted to flee the scene on foot when he was hit and killed by a black Ford truck as he was running across the westbound lanes. The black Ford was driven by a male with a female passenger, neither were injured in the incident.
Authorities are unsure whether or not alcohol was a contributing factor for the wrong-way driver but have ruled it out as a factor for the other two drivers involved.
Wrong-way collisions are rare but are often caused by impaired drivers.
Wrong-way collisions are among the most devastating types of traffic accidents. Each year on California highways, an average of 43 people are killed in wrong-way crashes. Though they account for less than one percent of all deadly crashes that occur, they are shocking. Data collected from 2019 revealed that more than 61 percent of wrong-way driver crashes involved impaired drivers.
“Our hearts go out to the families whose loved ones were involved in the fatal crash on Saturday night. The aftermath of wrong-way collisions can be devastating due to the high speed of travel and the head-on nature of the crashes,” says attorney Brett Schreiber, of Singleton Schreiber, “It’s important that the victims and their families of such collisions know they may have legal recourse and could consider contacting a personal injury attorney to learn more about their options.”
Safety Measures and Public Awareness
Given the severity and potential for fatality in wrong-way driving incidents, public awareness and safety measures are essential. Some steps you can take should you encounter a wrong-way driver on the road include:
- Staying alert: be aware of your surroundings at all times and stay vigilant for signs of potential wrong-way drivers
- Move to safety: the majority of wrong-way crashes occur in the left lanes as the wrong-way drivers tend to think they are traveling in the right-hand lane. If you see a wrong-way driver approaching, quickly and safely move to the right, pull over on the right-hand shoulder, or exit the roadway if possible.
- Call 911: immediately report the wrong-way driver to emergency services. Provide as much detail as possible about the vehicle and its location.
Victims and the families of victims involved in wrong-way collisions may be eligible to file personal injury claims. If you or a loved one have been injured in a wrong-way collision contact a car accident lawyer in San Diego at Singleton Schreiber by calling (619) 771-3473 or emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.