Gabriel A. Edwards, 40, was killed in a San Diego car accident after his vehicle crashed into a semi that had pulled onto the shoulder of a freeway off ramp. According to a news report in The San Diego Union Tribune, the fatal truck accident occurred on the Japatul Valley Road off ramp off the Interstate 8 in Descanso, the night of December 4, 2011. Officials say the Rancho Bernardino man slammed into the back of the truck. Edwards succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash. It is not clear what caused the crash. An investigation is ongoing.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Gabriel A. Edwards following this tragic truck accident. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

San Diego Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 76 people were killed and 2,268 were injured as a result of car accidents in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County. During that same year, car accidents countywide claimed 217 lives and caused 12,998 injuries.

What Caused This Fatal Crash?

Based on this news report, Edwards crashed his pickup into the back of a semi that had pulled onto the shoulder of the roadway. There are several questions that remain here. Did the truck driver pull all the way onto the shoulder and was the vehicle completely off the roadway? Did the truck have adequate reflective tape on it? Did the truck driver turn on the hazard lights? Were there reflective warning cones or signs posted behind the stopped truck? Was there adequate space on that shoulder for a truck to pull over? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.

Liability Issues

In this particular case, if the truck driver was illegally parked, then, the driver and his or her employer may be held liable for the victim's wrongful death. In cases where negligence is involved, families of deceased car accident victims can seek compensation to cover damages including medical expenses, funeral costs, lost future income, and loss of companionship. Victims' families in such cases would be well advised to contact a knowledgeable San Diego personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable.

Question: The real question is, regarding towing from private property due to a
parking violation, is how is it that the towing companies are allowed to
charge $280.00 for an otherwise $65.00 tow?

Answer: California Vehicle Code Section 22658, Removal From Private Property, states
in part:

(i) (1) (A) A charge for towing or storage, or both, of a vehicle under this
section is excessive if the charge exceeds the greater of the following:

(i) That which would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both,
made at the request of a law enforcement agency under an agreement between a
towing company and the law enforcement agency that exercises primary
jurisdiction in the city in which is located the private property from which
the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed, or if the private property
is not located within a city, then the law enforcement agency that exercises
primary jurisdiction in the county in which the private property is located.

(ii) That which would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both,
under the rate approved for that towing operator by the California Highway
Patrol for the jurisdiction in which the private property is located and
from which the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed.

(B) A towing operator shall make available for inspection and copying his or
her rate approved by the California Highway Patrol, if any, with in 24 hours
of a request without a warrant to law enforcement, the Attorney General,
district attorney, or city attorney.

(2) If a vehicle is released within 24 hours from the time the vehicle is
brought into the storage facility, regardless of the calendar date, the
storage charge shall be for only one day. Not more than one day's storage
charge may be required for a vehicle released the same day that it is
stored.