Police are investigating the cause of a multi-car accident on the 5 Freeway at Jamboree Road, the border between Irvine and Tustin. The car crash involved five vehicles in all, killing one driver and leaving two persons injured.
The sequence of events began when the driver of a Dodge van rear-ended the vehicle it was following. Police have initially attributed the accident to excessive speed by the van’s driver. The vehicle that was struck by the van slammed into the car ahead of it, and those two vehicles collided with two other cars.
Law enforcement officials arrived on the scene to find at least two cars on fire. The fire was believed to have started in the engine compartment of the vehicle struck by the van. The car was completely engulfed in flames before the driver could leave the vehicle, and he was later pronounced dead at the scene. The fire spread to the Dodge van, but bystanders were able to help the driver escape. Two additional persons were hospitalized with injuries caused both by fire and the impact of the accident.
Sorting out liability issues in a multi-vehicle accident can be a difficult task. The initial reports of this incident point to speeding by the driver of the Dodge van, but other factors may have played a role, such as ineffective tail lights, road conditions, weather, brake failure and many others. A thorough investigation may also rule out speeding as the principal cause. Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in a multi-vehicle collision may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in auto accident cases. Such a consultation can provide an analysis of the facts and law and an estimate of the probability of recovering damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Fiery multicar crash on the 5 Freeway in Irvine leaves one dead,” Brittny Mejia, Aug. 9, 2016