Bakersfield – Authorities have identified 20-year-old Leonardo Vasquez from Richgrove as the victim of a fatal crash on Friday, June 21, 2024, at the intersection of Famoso Porterville Highway and Cecil Avenue, according to KBAK.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), around 3:05 AM Vasquez was driving a Toyota eastbound on Cecil Avenue when, for reasons still under investigation, he made a sudden turn north onto Famoso Porterville Highway. This brought him directly into the path of a Honda driven by a 23-year-old woman from McFarland, who was heading south at an estimated speed of 60 to 65 MPH.
Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene. A postmortem examination confirmed that Vasquez died from multiple blunt force injuries and ruled his death an accident. Emergency personnel transported the McFarland driver to Kern Medical, where she was treated for moderate injuries.
Wrongful Death Claims
Establishing fault in a collision can depend on multiple factors. One crucial way a personal injury attorney can assist grieving families is by determining legal liability after the loss of a loved one in a traffic accident.
If another party is found to hold some responsibility for the death, the family may be eligible to file a Wrongful Death claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. This claim can provide compensation to help cover hospital fees, burial costs, and the loss of support for the deceased’s dependents.
Comparative Negligence
California Law upholds the concept of Comparative Negligence, which allows more than one party to share blame in a personal injury accident. Injured victims may have their compensation reduced if they are found partially to blame.
