A three-car accident yesterday, southbound on the I-5 at Avery in Mission Viejo, left a 21-year old female driver in critical condition today at Mission Hospital. A one-year old infant in her back seat was reported uninjured at the scene thanks to a child safety seat.
The car, a 1995 Nissan Sentra, was hit from behind by a tow truck. The Sentra was pushed into a 2002 Ford Taurus stopped ahead. The driver of the Taurus did not require hospitalization. For an unknown reason at this time, the 23-year old tow truck driver, a resident of Orange, failed to notice the slowing car.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The freeway between La Paz and Avery is dangerous. After thousands of car crashes along that stretch during the past 10 years, no one should be in denial.
Drivers aren’t perfect, and they are sometimes inattentive. Error on their part plays into crashes, but what about the inadequate ramps, lack of exit lanes and clogged surface streets that prevent traffic from moving off the freeway?
Why has Caltrans not placed electronic signs on the freeway that start flashing when traffic is stopped ahead? Flashing signs could at least wake up inattentive drivers if officials won’t address the underlying road problems.
This is very unfortunate. However we must remember that it is not always the fault of the person who hits someone in the back. Trucks (usually) drive with safe distance in front of them and have learned to drive the more efficient and safer average-speed driving style rather than the hurry up and wait style that promotes traffic waves and more accidents. Cars often race around these trucks, frustrated at the truck moving below the car driver’s desired speed. When a car has to suddenly stop very quickly and the car just cut the truck off, it should be expected that the car driver has just put him/herself into great danger.
I am not claiming to know what happened here, but I just want people to realize it isn’t always the person’s fault who hit someone from behind. I drive a style that is more average speed and I look several cars ahead of me at all times as to avoid this. But if I were driving a truck, it would be difficult to stop quickly if someone cuts me off and then is forced to slow down quickly, which is likely what happened in the accident by Oso Parkway where there were deaths.