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Fresno, CA – Fresno County crash with semi-truck kills 4 including a child; 3 others are injured

Torem & Associates

Fresno, CA (February 28, 2022) – Two children were among the four people killed in a two-vehicle crash. Three others were injured seriously.

It happened Wednesday morning along Interstate 5 north of Highway 33 in Fresno County. According to investigators, the driver of the Chrysler Aspen SUV was traveling southbound on the interstate. After drifting into the west shoulder for an unknown reason, the car slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler truck.

The Chrysler was heavily damaged in the accident. There was only a small portion of the minivan sticking to the 18-wheeler, and the rest of the vehicle could be seen a few yards away. The SUV’s passengers were ejected onto the road.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the four victims killed were Lute Fekitoa, 43, Naomi Cook, 35, Adimada Fekitoa, 9, and Keola James (KJ) Cook, 13. KJ was the son of Naomi and Adimada was the daughter of Lute.

A 52-year-old driver of the Chrysler, a 37-year-old man, and a 12-year-old girl were all taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno with serious injuries. Both families were from Washington state.

The 18-wheeler was empty when it was involved in the accident. The police are still trying to determine why the driver drifted onto the interstate shoulder.

Traffic was diverted toward Kamm and Derrick Avenues for about six hours while the lanes were closed.

The trucking industry drivers who travel through Fresno County said they were not surprised to hear of another fatal accident involving a semi-truck. The Central Valley’s highways need more rest areas, say truckers on the road. Currently, truck drivers feel they have no other option but to pull over on dangerous roads. A simple solution was offered by drivers when asked how similar accidents could be avoided. Pete Vargas says, “A place to park, stay the night comfortably, and not worry about having to park on the street.”. A safe parking area is needed.

Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in California

Over 3,000 people a year are killed or injured in tractor-trailer accidents in Southern California. Because of its 80,000-pound weight, a commercial vehicle can cause catastrophic injuries if it is involved in an accident. Despite the fact that most truck accidents are avoidable, they continue to negatively impact drivers. Commercial vehicles are larger than other vehicles, which makes them more likely to cause severe injuries to those in another vehicle.

It is common for people with traumatic injuries to require hospitalization, therapy, and various types of medical treatment for the long run as well. Hiring a expert semi-truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation to help with bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and more. 

Fresno Wrongful Death Lawyers

Working with an experienced and aggressive lawyer can help you recover from your accident. In California, Torem & Associates has protected the rights of thousands of injured victims for more than 30 years.

Our attorneys help clients who suffer mental, physical, and financial harm due to another’s negligence get the justice they deserve. The aggressive and trusted legal representation we provide ensures our clients are in the best position to recover from their injuries, move forward, and get the treatment they need.

If you lost a loved one in a preventable accident with a semi-truck please contact our California wrongful death attorneys, call us at (888) 500-5000 if you were hurt.

Note: Our team of writers utilizes secondary sources when creating these posts.  These sources include but are not limited to local news reports, police accident reports, and eyewitness accounts about serious injury accidents in the Inland Empire.  For that reason, the details surrounding the incident have not been independently verified by our team of writers.  If you locate any information that is not correct in our post, please contact our firm right away so that we correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available.  

Disclaimer: Our firm, Torem & Associates, has worked hard to become valued members of the local business community.  We write these posts as a way to bring awareness to the dangers of driving or being a passenger in any type of automobile accident. We hope that through awareness, people will use additional caution when out on the roadways in Inland Empire and throughout California to prevent being seriously injured in a crash. This post is not intended to be a solicitation for business. The information provided in this post is meant to be informational and is not intended to be misconstrued as legal or medical advice. The photos used in the post are not representative of the actual accident scene. 

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