Five Killed In Ontario Car Accident, Sudden Acceleration Suspected
Four adults and one child were killed in an Ontario car accident on New Year’s Eve after a Toyota Yaris going east on the 10 Freeway veered off the Vineyard Avenue off-ramp and T-boned a red Toyota sedan.
According to a news report in The Orange County Register, all the four occupants of the Toyota sedan were pronounced dead at the scene.
They were identified as Anthony Andrew Flores, 30, of Hemet; Monica Marie Flores, 37, of Arcadia; Matthew Joseph Pusateri, 29, of Mission Viejo; and Jeffrey Albert Willey, 29, of Huntington Beach. A 7-year-old boy in the Yaris, identified as Michael Pineda of Van Nuys, also succumbed to his injuries.
The others in the Yaris, two juveniles and one adult, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Officials say a “problem with the Yaris” may have caused the crash.
Officials said the Yaris “began to accelerate uncontrollably” as it went east on the 10 Freeway. Unable to stop or slow down the car, the driver went onto the Vineyard Avenue off-ramp from where the car veered and hit the sedan. Officials said alcohol or drugs were not factors in the crash.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of this terrible and tragic crash. We offer our deepest condolences to the families that have lost loved ones in this crash.
We wish the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
What Caused This Crash?
Based on this news report, it appears that the Toyota Yaris suddenly accelerated out of the driver’s control and he was unable to brake or stop the vehicle. It is not clear if this Yaris model was one of millions of vehicles that were recalled for sudden acceleration problems.
Officials have also said the Yaris was traveling at a high rate of speed as the driver tried to go on the off-ramp. There are a number of important questions that must be answered here.
Was the Yaris defective? Was it part of a sudden acceleration recall? Even if wasn’t part of a recall, did it have inherent manufacturing or design defects that caused it to suddenly accelerate out of control? We trust officials are looking into piecing together information that will provide answers to the victims and grieving family members.
Auto Products Liability Investigation
As auto defect attorneys who represent victims of dangerous automobiles, we know that a thorough investigation is critical in such cases. Law enforcement officials often don’t have the time, expertise or resources to thoroughly investigate auto defect cases.
Our law firm expends a significant amount of money and resources in getting the most knowledgeable and skilled experts to investigate these types of cases.
It is critical to preserve the vehicle involved, unaltered, so an expert can thoroughly examine all evidence including the event data recorder or the vehicle’s black box to determine how or why the crash occurred.
The best auto defect law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to victims and their families.