According to CBS NEWS, Regina Jones says that instinct prompted her to film the driver in front of her on Sunday afternoon, when she witnessed a dramatic crash that left two injured.
She pulled out her phone after witnessing another car driving erratically along the eastbound lanes of the 10 Freeway in Rosemead at around 1 p.m., just moments before that car slammed into the side of an overpass and rolled over onto its side.
“It shocked me. I was like, ‘Wow, what just happened?’” Jones said. “Your heart is racing. Everything is racing.”
The car came to a stop in a lane usually reserved for buses, at which point she and a number of other bystanders sprung into action.
Her husband, Toney, who was driving the car, jumped out and approached the crash, where he could hear someone inside calling for help.
“I had to help. We had to help,” he said. “Period.”
Regina captured the moments that a group of bystanders came together with Toney to help remove the injured people from the overturned vehicle.
“People just started stopping and blocking the freeway,” she said.
As she recalled the wild moments, Jones recounted how they could hear the driver screaming.
“He’s screaming, ‘Help me, help me,” she said. “He’s telling them, ‘Get my dad, get my dad.’ He’s telling them, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.’”
Witnesses say neither of the men was wearing a seatbelt, but both survived the crash.
The driver, however, was arrested for driving under the influence after being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Jones said that the dramatic moment left them with a number of impressions.
“I would say it had an impact to start spreading the word about drinking and driving,” Regina said.
Toney said that seeing all those strangers spring into action to help another is what will stay with him.
“I’m looking at all the people and it was a beautiful thing to see that,” he said. “Seems like angels just fell out of the sky.”
The wild crash on 10 Freeway in Rosemead left two injured.
We wish a quick recovery for others involved in this crash during this very difficult time.
When individuals are harmed or killed in traffic accidents, and another party is at fault, full compensation is not always granted, despite the circumstances. Skilled legal representation from a car or truck accident attorney is typically a must in these situations.
Photo credit: CBS NEWS
Legal Defenders at the Law Offices of Burg and Brock has helped countless families and individuals obtain the compensation they need to deal with expenses and move on with their lives. For a police report or other information, call us today at (818) 405-9091.
What California law says after a car accident
Reporting requirements after a California collision
California imposes reporting duties on drivers that are separate from any insurance claim.
A report must be filed with the DMV on form SR-1 within ten days of a collision that caused any injury, any death, or more than one thousand dollars in property damage to any one person. This duty applies regardless of fault, applies even when police responded and wrote their own report, and is not satisfied by notifying an insurance company. With current repair costs, most collisions that involve a body shop meet the damage threshold.
A separate rule covers collisions causing injury or death. The driver must make a written report to the California Highway Patrol, or to the city police department where the collision happened in a city, within twenty four hours. The statute states this duty for every injury or fatal collision. In practice, where officers responded and completed a report at the scene, that report generally satisfies the agency’s need, but a driver who assumes this without confirming it is relying on practice rather than on the text of the law.
Missing the DMV deadline can lead to suspension of driving privileges, an outcome unrelated to who caused the collision.
California filing deadlines for injury and death claims
In California, a lawsuit for personal injury caused by another person’s negligence generally must be filed within two years of the injury, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. A claim for a death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect runs under the same two-year period.
Shorter deadlines apply in specific situations. If a city, county or state agency may be responsible, a written claim must normally be presented to that public entity within six months. Claims involving minors, injuries that are not discovered right away, and certain defendants can follow different timelines.
Which deadline applies depends on the facts of each situation, and the standard two-year period does not govern every claim.
Your Rights After a Car Accident in California
A collision like this one raises questions about fault, insurance and medical costs, usually before anyone has had time to think about them. These guides explain how California handles them.
- Los Angeles car accident lawyer: fault, insurance offers, and what a claim is worth
- Brain and spinal cord injury lawyer: for collisions causing serious or lasting injury
- All practice areas