Juan Carlos Rodriguez (Full Name: Juan Carlos Enriquez Rodriguez ), Lionel Rodriguez (Full Name: Lionel Enriquez Rodriguez), of Simi Valley, Died In Sacramento Car Accident With Unmarked Police Vehicle On Interstate 5 Near Sutterville Road
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (December 7, 2022) – Two people identified as Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez died in a Sacramento car accident with a police vehicle on Interstate 5.
Sacramento County officials are saying that the accident took place around 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. A pickup truck pulled over to the side of the road after possibly running out of gas. Another vehicle pulled over to the side of the road to help.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez were putting gas in a vehicle when an unmarked police detective vehicle crossed the solid white line and hit both of them.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help both of the victims. Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez were critically injured following the crash.
One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died after being taken to a local area hospital. The Sacramento police detective was on-duty when they crashed into the parked vehicles.
They were uninjured and remained at the scene. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time. This is the second fatal collision involving a Sacramento police officer in the last two months.
Liability For Sacramento Police Vehicle Accidents
Accidents involving emergency vehicles may seem like freak occurrences, but they are actually very common. According to the National Safety Council, “In 2020, 180 people died in crashes involving emergency vehicles. The majority of these deaths were occupants of non-emergency vehicles (56%).” Crashes involving police vehicles accounted for 132 of the 180 deaths. There are a number of steps that officers should take in order to prevent collisions.
- Officers should activate their lights and sirens when responding to an emergency.
- Officers should minimize distractions when driving and primarily use their onboard computer when they are pulled over.
- Officers should abstain from alcohol and other intoxicating substances when they are driving.
Determining liability for a collision involving a police vehicle can be difficult. Police departments across California tend to have a great deal of immunity from civil suits when they are involved in collisions during emergency trips. However, the driver of any authorized emergency vehicle must have their lights and sirens on while responding to an emergency, pursuant to California Vehicle Code 21055. If a police officer failed to turn their lights and sirens on or was not responding to an emergency when they crashed, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
Moreover, for a police department to be liable for a collision, the officer involved in the collision must have been on-duty. In general, police departments are not liable for the negligence of their officers when those officers are not working. Police departments may be liable for the negligent actions of their officers when those officers were performing their police duties. For example, a police officer may have been responding to a non-emergency call or transporting a suspect to some location.
Police officers must obey all traffic regulations in non-emergency scenarios. This includes obeying all posted speed limits. According to California Vehicle Code 22107, nor person shall move a vehicle left or right upon a roadway unless such a maneuver can be made with reasonable safety. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of any driver that rear-ends another vehicle. These types of collisions tend to occur when drivers are distracted, fatigued or traveling too fast for the prevailing conditions. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any police vehicle accident.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- The officer’s dash cam footage should be reviewed.
- Maintenance records for the vehicle involved should be examined.
Victims of police vehicle accidents do have rights. The family of any person that is killed due to the negligence of a police officer is able to seek some measure of justice through California Code of Civil Procedure 377.60. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. A wrongful death attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating A Sacramento Police Car Accident
We at TorkLaw extend our deepest condolences to the families of Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. There needs to be a thorough investigation for the sake of all who have lost so much. The Sacramento Police Department should be transparent about what happened and what went wrong.
Do you need more information about a Sacramento police vehicle accident? Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that police departments are held accountable for their actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any collision we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (888) 441-4991. Se habla español.
