Deadly morning on local roads
Personal Injury News
Article Date: 5/18/2010 | Resource: MLG
Deadly morning on local roads
Two people were killed in separate crashes this morning on rain-slickened Ventura County roads.
The first occurred about 7:40 a.m. on south Highway 101 just south of Lewis Road in Camarillo. Jesus Ledesma, 27, of Fontana was hauling hard wood and pallets in a semi-truck, had just made a delivery in Oxnard and was headed to the City of Industry when the driver of a car lost control and went into his path, said Officer Steve Reid of the California Highway Patrol office in Ventura.
Ledesma braked but could not stop in time, hitting the car and sending it smashing into the center median, authorities said. Another car, driven by Jorge Rodriguez, 51, of Simi Valley, then hit the truck.
A woman driving the first car died at the scene, Reid said. Ledesma and Rodriguez were not injured, according to the CHP.
The crash left two freeway lanes blocked as CHP and fire officials conducted a heavy rescue. The crash caused long traffic backups on both directions of Highway 101 during the morning commute.
At 8:02 a.m., a fatal accident was reported at Pleasant Valley and Laguna roads on the Oxnard Plain between Oxnard and Camarillo.
A water truck was heading north on Pleasant Valley when traffic slowed in front of it, CHP Officer Clint Kneip said. The truck driver slammed on the brakes, apparently lost control and veered into a southbound lane. A car coming in that direction could not stop in time and crashed into the truck, getting stuck underneath it.
I think they couldnt stop its so sad, said witness Misae Chipman of Camarillo.
The male driver of the car died at the scene, Kneip said. A male passenger was freed by emergency personnel and taken to St. Johns Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. His condition was not immediately known.
No one in the truck was injured, authorities said.
This mornings light rain could have been a contributing factor in at least the Pleasant Valley crash, authorities said.
Further details about both crashes, including the identities of the victims, were not available this morning
For more information regarding this article please contact:
Jeffrey Marquart
(949)589-0150
jmarquart@marquartlawgroup.com