This map shows the incorporated and unincorporated areas in Sacramento County, California, highlighting Elk Grove in red. It was created with a custom script with US Census Bureau data and modified with Inkscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The stretch of Interstate 5 that runs from the Central Valley through Northern California tends to be one of the more boring drives in the state. The well traveled road mostly cuts through farmland in this area. It’s flat, largely two lanes in each direction and often smells like manure.
When a crash on the 5 cripples traffic, it can be a big problem. Surface roads and smaller highways are hard to find. Allowing traffic to stop in either direction could block the road for miles. Sunday night, such a crash happened, but the extremity of the situation is what’s making headlines instead of the traffic report.
A Ford Expedition traveling south near the town of Elk Grove suddenly lost control around 3:40 in the afternoon. It struck a Honda Accord headed north, sending the vehicles off the road and flipping the Expedition. The accident caused a full closure of the 5 while crews investigated the cause of the accident.
At this time, it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved. Witnesses say the Expedition crossed the center divider, which is only a grassy ditch in this area of the 5. It’s nothing that the large SUV couldn’t handle. Reports from the California Highway Patrol indicate the Expedition had a blown tire and that may have contributed to the vehicle losing control.
The Accord and Expedition collided head on, flipping both cars and killing four people instantly. Some passengers were thrown from the cars. Three people from the Expedition were killed and the driver of the Accord was also killed. Seven others were injured and immediately rushed to the hospital. Rescue crews confirmed that the jaws of life were required to extract one victim.
As investigation into the cause of the crash is less than a day into the case, little else is known. Witnesses did not report any reckless driving from either vehicles before the crash happened. There is no further update of the condition of the victims that were sent to the hospital. Traffic on the freeway resumed as normal by this morning.
Were you injured in a car crash? We can help you fight your case. Visit the Accident Attorneys’ Group for more information about filing a personal injury lawsuit and what to expect both from your attorney and your insurance company.
The post Crash on I-5 Kills 4, Injures 7 Sunday Night appeared first on Accident Attorneys' Group.
