Student Faults Brakes in Dangerous School Collision
The student from Hemet High School has said that a car malfunction was to blame in an accident where his truck plowed through a group of people Wednesday afternoon.
18 year old Daniel Carrillo, a junior at the school, claims that a brake failure prevented him from hitting eight people crossing Stetson Avenue shortly after school was let out. Witnesses to the accident reported that Carrillo was in the right turn lane to enter the school’s parking lot, though the vehicle went forward into a crosswalk instead.
The collision injured seven students from the school and one older man. Three were seriously injured, including two 15 year olds, Helen Richardson and Yesenia Estrada who remain in critical condition fighting for their lives. They both suffered head injuries (Richardson is now in a coma) as the truck drove over them.
Carrillo’s twin brother David, and 16 year old Armando Gonzalez were also in the truck at the time of the accident, though none of them were injured.
Carrillo made no moves to flee after the collision; instead he got out of the truck and tried to help the mass of people that he had just hit.
The California Highway Patrol uncovered that the truck, a 1994 Ford Ranger, was traveling westbound down Stetson Avenue above the speed limit of 25 miles per hour, and a student who witnessed the accident commented that “he revved the throttle like crazy” and that “we heard the RPMs build.”
An investigation is still ongoing to determine if any charges are to be filed against Carrillo. The truck was impounded and is currently being inspected for anything that could help determine what else was in play in the accident. Authorities will also review surveillance footage from the school.
The incident could not have come at a worse time, as graduation was just two days away. The school offered grief counseling on Thursday to anyone who witnessed the accident, as the scene was a horrific sight. Students on scene reported that books, papers, and bodies were strewn all over the road.
If you or someone you know has been in an accident like this caused by a wayward truck crashing into a crosswalk, you need help immediately. The Consumers’ Law Group has the education and the training needed to get you the compensation you deserve. We are a group of professional Riverside injury attorneys with more than two decades of experience handling cases just like yours.
Our injury attorneys can help you deal with the heavy financial burden placed upon you by medical bills and repair costs through winning settlement with the liable parties involved in the accident. We do not charge a thing for our services until your case is won. Call us today for your free evaluation!