A Colusa woman died in a crash at the intersection of O’Banion Road and Highway 99, according to the California Highway Patrol’s recent report. The deadly accident, which happened just south of Yuba City, shut down the Highway for about two hours and resulted in the hospitalization of three people as well as the death of the female victim.
According to reports from the California Highway Patrol, Sukhpreet Shokar, 19, was traveling east on O’Banion Road near Highway 99 as another driver in a Chevy Impala approached on Highway 99 traveling south. There is a stop sign at the intersection, but, for unknown reasons, Shokar did not yield and pulled into the oncoming path of the other vehicle. The driver, a 60-year-old man from Colusa, was unable to stop and crashed into Shokar’s car.
The 57-year-old female who was killed was a passenger in the Impala. The other victims were the driver and a 25-year-old male, who were also in the Impala. Shokar was alone in his vehicle.
The police have not determined if either of the drivers was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Intersection Accidents: Deadly and Common
About 2.3 million crashes per year occur at intersections, according to data from the government’s “Distracted Driving” website. This is equivalent to about 40 percent of all crashes nationwide each year. Of these, approximately 7,400 are fatal crashes and about 733,000 involve injuries.
Intersection accidents often occur when one driver fails to yield to a stop sign or signal. It is very common for drivers to “run” a stop sign after a token slow-down, or even without slowing at all. The problem is that many drivers believe they can anticipate traffic coming when, in fact, they may fail to see an oncoming car. Another problem that arises at stop signs is when drivers are distracted by cell phones or other items and fail to notice the stop sign. Finally, some drivers stop at a stop sign, look for traffic, then pull out without realizing that a car has turned onto the highway or appeared over a hill.
No matter how these accidents occur, they are likely to cause injury or death if one or more of the drivers is traveling at a high rate of speed or if some passengers are not wearing safety restraints.
If you have been the victim of an intersection crash or any other type of auto accident, contact Ashley Injury Lawyers in Roseville to discuss your case.
