San Diego Injury Accident Lawyer Blog

Three Die In A Riverside County Car Accident

Three people, including 30-year old Donald Graves, his 3-year old daughter Dakota (both of Hemet), and 20-year old Andrew Huizar of Apple Valley lost their lives in a fatal Riverside County car accident on the evening of March 9, 2010.

Graves, along with his daughter, was in a Chevy Malibu and Huizar was driving a Honda Accord when Graves suddenly drove onto the opposite lane causing a head-on collision on Florida Avenue near Warren Road in Hemet. The 3 year old Dakota died at the scene while Graves and Huizar succumbed to fatal injuries at Hemet Valley Medical Center. According to investigating officers, Graves was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

Our office expresses deepest remorse to the families and friends of the victims.  We never like to hear about the loss of life, especially when it may be preventable.  Lessons can certainly be learned from this accident.  First, a small step like wearing the seatbelt could have possibly prevented Mr. Graves’s death. What will it take to make people realize that it is for their own safety that California law requires them to wear seat belts?  Second, it is unclear why Mr. Graves was heading the wrong direction down the road. 

If our office were to advise the family of Andrew Huizar, we would suggest hiring an accident investigator to determine why this head-on accident occurred.  There is a possibility that Mr. Graves was driving under the influence or distracted on a cell phone or via texting and therefore did not notice that he had crossed over the opposite lane of traffic.  We would also recommend hiring a private investigator to determine Mr. Graves’ assets and the assets of his estate that could pay for the loss of 20-year old Andrew Huizar’s life.  Mr. Graves’ auto insurance policy will be wholly inadequate to provide full compensation.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside County personal injury lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others.  If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Riverside car accident , please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case . It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.