Avatar Actress Zoe Saldana Helps Woman Injured in Culver City Car Accident

Zoe Saldana, the actress from the movie “Avatar,” stopped to help an elderly woman who was injured in a Culver City car accident. According to a news report in The Culver City Patch, the collision occurred at the intersection of Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue, the morning of January 18, 2012. The 33-year-old actress who happened to be first on the scene, called 911 and stayed with the woman until paramedics arrived.

Culver City police officials say the incident involved two cars. One driver was traveling east on Culver while the other was traveling north on Overland. The collision apparently occurred as the result of one of the drivers making an unsafe left turn. It is not clear if anyone else of was injured. The woman was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this car accident. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. I commend Zoe Saldana for being the Good Samaritan and stopping to help the elderly victim.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person died and 258 were injured in Culver City car accidents. During that same year, Los Angeles County car accidents claimed 554 lives and injured 50,817 people.

Left Turn Law

Based on this news account, the car accident was caused by a left-turn violation. California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety.”

Liability Issues

In such cases, the at-fault driver can be held liable for injuries and damages caused. Injured victims can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. Car accident victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Culver City personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable.