Stanislaus County, CA – According to The Modesto Bee, on the morning of Tuesday, May 9, 2024, a 26-year-old Modesto man identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as Christian Rivera lost his life in a two-vehicle collision. The crash occurred around 9:35 AM on Highway 99 just north of Lander Avenue.
Preliminary findings of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) indicate that Rivera was driving a 2010 Mazda sedan southbound on Highway 99 when it collided with a 2022 Ford SUV also traveling southbound. Both vehicles were occupying the number 1 lane at the time of impact.
According to the CHP report, Rivera was traveling at a high rate of speed while attempting to overtake the Ford when the collision occurred. The force of the impact caused Rivera’s Mazda to veer across all lanes of traffic, eventually overturning multiple times on the west shoulder.
Tragically, Rivera was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Emergency services rushed him to Doctors Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Fortunately, the driver of the Ford, a 28-year-old San Jose woman, escaped the incident without injury.
Investigations into the collision are ongoing, and the impact of driver intoxication has not yet been ruled out.
Wrongful Death Claims
Establishing fault in a collision can depend on multiple factors. Helping to determine legal liability is one of the ways that a personal injury attorney can help grieving families recovering from the loss of a loved one in a traffic accident.
Suppose it is determined that another party holds some portion of responsibility for their loved one’s death. In that case, they may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim with the insurance provider of the at-fault driver. A wrongful death claim can provide compensation to help cover hospital fees, burial costs, and the loss of support for dependents of the deceased.
