DUI has been pointed as the causing factor in the fiery multi-car collision in September on Interstate 15 in Wildomar, California.  This marks an about face from the previous theory that the 56-year-old driver of one of the vehicles was driving the wrong way, and this was the reason for the crash.

Talpa Bocanegra and her husband were on their way to Mexico on one of their frequent weekend trips to visit family, when they encountered a car driving the wrong way at breakneck speed.  That car, a Ford Focus was being driven by 18 year old Ryan Carreon. The two cars collided head on killing the couple and Carreon instantly.  Another car broadsided the Focus moments after the initial collision.  The occupants of that car suffered severe injuries with the driver remaining in coma for three weeks while the passenger sustained spinal cord injuries.

The initial investigations were hampered by the massive destruction caused by the collision. Debris was strewn across the highway and according to the California Highway Patrol, initial witness accounts were often misleading and conflicting.  The initial verdict was that Talpa Bocanegra was at fault.  Now, new investigations have revealed that Carreon was in fact drunk at the time of the accident and his blood alcohol limit was at 0.18 per cent.

For the Bocanegra children who’ve struggled with the initial information that their parents may have been to blame for the crash, news of their absolution is sweet, albeit tinged with grief at their loss.  They don’t really blame Carreon for the crash, and it’s easy to understand why.  Three of the people involved in the horrific crash are dead, and the two women passengers of the third car are slowly recovering from massive injuries.  Just one more accident that could have been avoided had the “don’t drink and drive” message been drilled a little deeper.

Drunken driving is a major cause of accidents in this country.  If you’ve suffered as a result of an accident caused because the driver of the other vehicle was driving under the influence, contact the California wrongful death lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for an initial consultation.