Accident in California injures 2 women and 3 children

The California Highway Patrol is trying to determine what may have caused a Chevrolet sedan to cross into the path of oncoming traffic on the afternoon of July 22 in Folsom. Five people, including three children, were hurt when the Chevrolet struck a Kia sedan head-on. The accident took place on Empire Ranch Road at approximately 4:30 p.m.

According to police, the Chevrolet was proceeding northbound on Empire Ranch Road when it entered the path of southbound traffic between Woodhead Street and Broadstone Parkway. The female behind the wheel of the Kia as well as the woman and three children traveling in the Chevrolet all suffered injuries in the crash.

Police at the scene did not disclose how badly the two women and three children had been injured, but all of the victims were said to be awake and speaking with rescue workers as they were being prepared for transport to an area hospital. One woman and two children were taken to receive treatment by ambulance, and a helicopter was called in to transport the second woman and third child. While officers did not speculate about what may have caused the crash, a CHP representative did say that it seemed likely that all of the accident victims were restrained by seat belts at the time.

Head-on collisions often cause serious injuries due to the combined speeds of the vehicles involved, and they are often caused by drivers who are distracted, fatigued, intoxicated or otherwise negligent. When police investigations are inconclusive, personal injury attorneys seeking compensation for accident victims may conduct inquiries of their own. These efforts could involve having vehicles mechanically inspected and requesting the cellphone usage data of drivers that may have been distracted. Attorneys may also canvass the accident scene for surveillance or security cameras as well as witnesses that could have been missed by the police.