Fresno, CA – IDENTIFIED: Fresno County man killed in car accident
FRESNO, CA – A 71-year-old man has been identified as the victim of a head-on crash near Selma on Tuesday night.
An SUV and a truck were involved in a crash at the intersection of DeWolf and Floral avenues shortly after 8:00 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers arrived on the scene to discover that Richard Wilkin, 71, had died of his injuries. Wilkin has been pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The truck caught fire after the crash, and witnesses pulled the driver and passenger from the burning wreckage just moments before it was fully engulfed in flames.
Both the driver and passenger were rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers discovered that Wilkin was trying to make a left-hand turn from westbound Floral Avenue to southbound Dewolf Avenue when his SUV ended up directly in the path of the oncoming truck at the intersection.
The truck and SUV collided at the intersection, causing major damage to both vehicles. Both drivers had stop signs at the intersection, but police are unsure why Wilken failed to yield to the truck before making the turn.
At this time, officers say it is unknown whether alcohol and drugs played a role in the crash. According to investigators, Wilkin may not have been wearing his seatbelt during the crash.
Fresno Wrongful Death Attorneys
Being involved in a car crash can have a lasting impact on the lives of victims and their families. More than 270,000 accidents take place in our state each year. Although we want everyone to walk away from accidents without any issues, this is not always the case. Automobile accidents throughout the state of California claim the lives of more than 3,200 people each year.
The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error. In fact, statistics show that reckless driving, negligence, speeding, driving while impaired, and other careless actions while operating vehicles contribute to around 80% of collisions each year. Losing a loved one under any circumstances can be challenging to accept. Knowing that your loved one died in a preventable accident just makes the situation even more emotional.
Not only are families forced to endure endless mental and emotional suffering, but they are often required to spend tens of thousands of dollars on medical treatment, property damages, funeral services, and more. After enduring the loss of a loved one in an accident, caused by the negligent actions of others, families can reach out to a California wrongful death attorney to explore legal options available to them moving forward.
Car Accident Lawyers in Fresno
For nearly four decades, the Fresno car accident attorneys at Torem & Associates have helped guide families after losing loved ones in accidents resulting from the negligence of other motorists sharing the road. Our attorneys strive to help our clients better understand options available to them moving forward to ensure they are able to maximize their recoveries and get the justice they deserve for their loved ones. Through our keen attention to detail and extensive knowledge of personal injury laws in California, we are able to provide reliable and trusted legal representation to help our clients win so they can hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions.
If your loved one was killed in a preventable accident, reach out to one of our wrongful death lawyers in Fresno by calling (888) 500-5000. Our team is available to meet with you and discuss legal options available to help you recover.
Note: Our team of writers utilizes secondary sources when creating these posts. These sources include but are not limited to local news reports, police accident reports, and eyewitness accounts about serious injury accidents in Modesto. For that reason, the details surrounding the incident have not been independently verified by our team of writers. If you locate any information that is not correct in our post, please contact our firm right away so that we correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available.
Disclaimer: Our firm, Torem & Associates, has worked hard to become valued members of the local business community. We write these posts as a way to bring awareness to the dangers of driving or being a passenger in any type of automobile accident. We hope that through awareness, people will use additional caution when out on the roadways in Modesto and throughout California to prevent being seriously injured in a crash. This post is not intended to be a solicitation for business. The information provided in this post is meant to be informational and is not intended to be misconstrued as legal or medical advice. The photos used in the post are not representative of the actual accident scene.
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