A 33-year-old mother and her 9-year old daughter were killed early Tuesday morning in a multi-vehicle crash in Garden Grove on the 22 Freeway.
The California Highway Patrol reported that a 30-year-old driver of a BMW that was involved in the collision was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with the fatal crash.
The crash involved four vehicles in total and occurred at around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day just east of Valley View Street. It began when the DUI suspect rear-ended a Lexus in the HOV lane. The BMW then hit a Ford F-150 whose three occupants included the woman and child who were killed. The F-150 skidded on its right side across all lanes of traffic.
A 2003 Mazda 3 going westbound was also struck by the overturned pickup truck and struck the center divider. The pickup continued skidding and struck a guardrail that borders the right shoulder. Occupants of the Lexus and Mazda were not injured.
The 9-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene while her mother was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
A 10-year-old boy, also a passenger in the F-150 and was transported to the hospital. His condition is not currently known.
The identity of the BMW driver was not disclosed after he was taken into custody.
Accidents like these often leave families with the right to pursue a claim. As one of the leading catastrophic personal injury law firms in California, Callahan & Blaine has obtained numerous record-breaking verdicts and settlements in cases like this, helping bring some small justice to the aggrieved family. If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or died as the result of an accident, contact the best personal injury attorneys in Orange County for expert legal counsel.
