Any time a fatal car crash occurs there are lingering questions about what happened and why and what could have been done to prevent it. Many of these questions are still in the air over a crash that took place this week in southern California that involved seven cars and lead to one death. Police say that both drunk driving and speed were likely to have been factors in causing the crash, but that they have not made an arrest yet.
Bystanders say that the grey sedan that initiated the multi-car pileup collided with the first vehicle at a high rate of speed, causing serious damage to the car. Police said that the driver of the other vehicle died at the scene of the accident from injuries from impact. At the same time, witnesses including drivers of the other cars involved reported that the driver of the grey car appeared unbalanced and showed signs of intoxication. His state of mind was brought into question further when witnesses saw him walk from the scene to a nearby convenience store where he purchased a six-pack of beer before returning to the area to drink it.
There is some speculation that the man was tampering with evidence of his blood alcohol content at the time of the crash to make it more difficult for police to build a case that he was driving while intoxicated.
Whether or not the police make an arrest in this case will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation. Regardless of that outcome, the victims and their families have a right to seek answers about the car accident and compensation for the damage it caused.
Source: ABC 7, “Tarzana fatal crash culprit drank beer immediately after wreck,” Coleen Sullivan, Dec. 17, 2013.
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