The California Highway Patrol is investigating what may have led to a head-on collision along First Avenue on New Year’s Day. The accident occurred in an unincorporated area, East Whittier, around 1:30 a.m. Both drivers in the accident died from injuries sustained in the wreck. Police reports show that the two vehicles collided near Candlelight Drive.
The collision occurred when a 24-year-old Santa Ana resident, who was driving a 1999 Isuzu Trooper, drifted out of the southbound lane on First Avenue. The other driver involved, a 54-year-old woman, was driving a 2007 Lexus IS 250. The Isuzu driver drifted directly into the path of the Lexus, causing the car accident. Both the Isuzu driver and the Lexus driver, a resident of Azusa, died at the scene of the collision.
The CHP from the Santa Fe Springs office will be conducting the investigation, but at this point, it’s unknown whether alcohol may have been a contributing factor in this collision, which occurred less than two hours into the new year. It is also unknown whether speeding could have played a role in the collision. The decedents’ residences were provided by police and were not confirmed by the lieutenant of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.
Any auto accident can lead to serious injuries, but head-on collisions, as was the case in this instance, can prove especially deadly. The combined two forces of opposing vehicles often results in fatal injuries for those involved. Victims of these accidents and their surviving family may be able to obtain compensation related to the other driver’s reckless actions.
Source: Whittier Daily News, “Azusa woman, Santa Ana man killed in head-on East Whittier crash“, Brian Day, January 02, 2015