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6 of the Worst Motor Vehicle Accidents in California History

California is home to major motor vehicle accidents every year.

Eleven percent of California highway deaths occur during rollover accidents. SUVs and top-heavy trucks are especially likely to somersault if a collision occurs.

Crashes that cause vehicles to veer off the road and hit other objects are the most deadly. They account for 32 percent of all traffic fatalities and usually involve bad weather, drunk driving, distracted driving or falling asleep at the wheel.

With all of that being said, we’ve prepared a summary of California’s scariest car accidents in no particular order:

1. The Coalinga, California “Thanksgiving Wreck” on November 29, 1991

A 104-vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 resulted in 114 injuries and 17 fatalities over Thanksgiving weekend.

A sudden massive dust storm reduced visibility to nearly zero.

Together with the heavy holiday traffic, it was a recipe for disaster.

Meanwhile, befuddled and beleaguered motorists couldn’t decide whether to keep driving and risk running into someone up ahead or to stay put in one place and hope they wouldn’t get rear-ended.

To make matters worse, several big rigs had gas tank explosions.

The surrounding farms had not been planted with crops that year because of an ongoing drought, and the dry topsoil was the perfect ingredient for a killer dust storm.

When the prevailing winds reached 40 miles per hour, they whipped the dry topsoil into a frenzied cloud that engulfed the highway and drastically reduced visibility.

The resulting series of crashes stretched out over a mile of highway.

2. The Fresno, California, Pileup on November 3, 2007

The Fresno pileup was a multivehicle crash on Highway 99 caused by a sudden infusion of Central California tule fog.

Because visibility was only about two feet, a number of vehicles were “mangled and crushed.” Nine large rigs were involved, but miraculously there were no hazardous spills, fires, jackknives or exploding gas tanks.

The accident involved more than 100 people and set off a chain reaction that injured 36 and killed two. The Fresno crash was considered the deadliest multicar collision in California history.

The 36 injured people were rushed to the hospital. One driver was cited for drunk driving, but investigators at the crash site said they did not believe that the drunk had caused the accident.

A Hyundai Accent was thought to have started the ball rolling when it reportedly crossed the double yellow center lines and hit a Honda Accord.

According to the collision report, “the use of alcohol is believed to have been a factor in this collision on the part of the Hyundai driver.” A CHP officer added that the passengers in the Hyundai were not wearing seatbelts.

All four of the Hyundai’s passengers died as well as the driver. One passenger in the Honda died and two were critically injured.

3. A Los Angeles, California, Truck Accident on November 3, 2002

Fog was to blame in 2002 when a big rig crashed into a Los Angeles freeway center divider on I-710. The accident occurred early during the morning rush hour when the cloud of pea soup fog was at its thickest.

The domino effect caused a long string of accidents on both sides of the interstate. A two-mile stretch of highway between I-405 and Highway 91 was closed for most of the day while cleanup efforts were underway.

Over 216 vehicles were involved in the collision. All of them suffered some degree of damage as a result of the wreck.

The accident was described as one of the largest multicar chain-reaction collisions in U.S. history.

Forty-five people were injured in the crash, and five of them were injured seriously.

The crash occurred near the Table Mountain Casino in Friant. Jugjeet Muhar was among those injured in the wreck. He was just returning home after a visit to the casino with his cousin who died in the crash.

One survivor was taken to the Community Regional Hospital via ambulance while the other was transported via airlift. Both injured persons were admitted to the level 3 trauma center upon arrival.

4. The Farrari Enzo Crash in Malibu, California, on February 21, 2006

Enzo FerrariWhen Stefan Eriksson crashed his Ferrari Enzo on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, it was considered one of the worst wrecks in known human history.

The $2 million Farrari supercar met its demise when it crashed into a lamppost and snapped in half. Mr. Eriksson had been out for a spin on the Pacific Coast Highway going 160 mph when the lamppost got in his way.

Despite the gory condition of the Enzo after its encounter with the lamppost, Mr. Ericksson was not injured. He did, however, spend 18 months in jail following an inquiry into the accident.

According to Wikipedia, Mr. Eriksson is “a Swedish criminal from Uppsala involved in the UK gaming company Gizmondo with his business partner Carl.”

Image By Axion23, Orange Enzo Ferrari, CC BY 2.0

5. A Holtville, California, SUV Is Totaled by a Big Rig on March 2, 2021

This devastating crash occurred near Holtville, California, in Imperial County. That’s roughly 125 miles east of San Diego and about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.

A big rig and a Ford Expedition SUV collided and left 12 people, including the SUV driver, dead at the scene. An additional SUV passenger later died at the hospital.

The investigators reported that when the SUV Ford Expedition and the big rig entered the intersection, the rig, which was hauling two trailers, smacked the left side of the SUV which was carrying 25 people.

There were no back seats in the SUV, and there were no seat belts to keep the passengers in the truck. Some of the passengers were ejected from the Expedition when it crashed into the rig.

The California Highway Patrol Chief said it was difficult to imagine how all 25 people were able to fit into one car.

The occupants of the truck were between the ages of 15 and 53. The Mexican consulate confirmed that at least 10 of the deceased were Mexican Nationals. However, the reason for the collision remained unclear.

The only passenger in the rig was the driver. He reportedly sustained moderate injuries and was said to be in “bad shape” following the accident.

Imperial County Fire said 25 more emergency personnel were dispatched to the accident scene along with five additional ground ambulances and four additional airlift helicopters.

The California Highway Patrol said that everyone who survived the crash was injured to some degree. Consequently, all the survivors were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Some of the survivors sustained potentially fatal head injuries, chest injuries and fractures.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched an investigation into human smuggling that may have been sparked by the investigation surrounding the wreck.

The investigators visited the crash site and scoured the area for evidence of foul play.

6. An Anderson, California, Car Crashes Into a Daycare Facility on March 4, 2022

Fourteen kids were hospitalized after a car smashed into a Northern California daycare facility. Fortunately, the majority of hospitalizations were precautionary measures according to local police.

A Suzuki SUV crashed through the walls of the building and came to a stop inside the daycare center. Two adults and 19 kids were in the building when the SUV made a surprise appearance after crashing through the walls.

The driver of the Suzuki was a local woman who was found to be unimpaired when the accident occurred. She was released soon after being questioned by police officers already on the scene.

Interesting Facts About California Car Crashes

The more you drive, the more likely you are to be involved in a wreck.

Statistical data indicates that the most dangerous places to drive in California are not the daredevil freeways in downtown LA. Instead, the danger lurks on rural roads in counties like Imperial, Mariposa, Mono, Trinity, Modoc, Glenn, Plumas, Colusa and Del Norte.

In the U.S., car crashes are one of the leading causes of death. Over 90 people in the U.S. die in automobile accidents every day. An estimated six million vehicle collisions occur every year.

Three million people are injured in vehicle wrecks annually. Two million of those people are left with chronic functional deficits and long-term disabilities.

Most of us believe that flying is safer than driving. Studies tell us that the odds of meeting your end in a plane crash are only one in 9,821.

On the other hand, the odds of departing planet Earth in a vehicle collision are 1 in 114. Clearly, it’s safer to fly than to drive as long as you can afford a private jet complete with pilot.

You can be injured in a vehicle wreck even if you’re traveling on foot. Flying debris and vehicles veering in all directions can make you feel like you’re in a war zone.

Should you run screaming in the other direction, or would it be better to hide in the trunk and hope for the best?

The easiest way to avoid vehicle pileups is to remain alert and proceed with care. If you’re on foot or riding your bike after dark, always wear a reflective vest and helmet so that other drivers can see you coming and going.

Sources:

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-20-largest-traffic-accidents-in-79546/
https://gizmodo.com/ferrari-crashing-gizmondo-head-sentenced-to-18-months-i-5312674?tag=stefaneriksson

10 Deadliest Car Crashes Ever


https://www.theadvocates.com/knowledge-base/montana/car-accident-articles-montana/top-5-most-dangerous-car-accidents/
https://traveltips.usatoday.com/air-travel-safer-car-travel-1581.html
https://abcnews.go.com/US/multiple-fatalities-california-crash-highway-patrol/story?id=76203157
https://people.com/human-interest/14-children-hospitalized-car-crashes-northern-california-daycare/
https://www.policygenius.com/auto-insurance/car-accidents-by-state/
https://people.com/human-interest/5-killed-2-injured-fatal-california-car-crash-near-casino/


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