CALTRANS AGREES TO PAYOUT TENTATIVE $3 MILLION PACT RESULTS FROM FATAL CRASH.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer PEARBLOSSOM - Caltrans has agreed to pay $3 million to three families involved in a 1995 crash on Pearblossom Highway that killed three people and injured eight. The plaintiffs claimed that Caltrans had known previously that the ``twin bridges'' section of Highway 138 east of Pearblossom had an excessive fatality and injury crash rate but did nothing. The tentative settlement was reached March 5 during a conference in Palmdale Superior Court, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. court records. Attorneys for the plaintiffs could not be reached for comment. The attorney for the California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is a government agency in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems in California. declined to comment except to say the settlement is pending. ``Our office policy is not to make any comment regarding cases,'' said attorney Jill Siciliano Si`ci`li`a´no n. 1. A Sicilian dance, resembling the pastorale, set to a rather slow and graceful melody in 12-8 or 6-8 measure; also, the music to the dance. . The case will return to court in Palmdale in June for a hearing on dismissal pending consummation of settlement, court records said. The plaintiffs had sought $25 million in damages, court records show. Thirteen adults and children from the three families were in a 1981 Chevrolet covered pickup truck with a camper shell A camper shell, sometimes known as a topper or cap, is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. , returning from Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. on May 15, 1995, when an approaching motorist crossed the double-yellow line A double-yellow line is a common road marking meaning different things in many parts of the world. UK Double yellow lines occur only on the side of carriageways and indicate 'no parking at any time'. and hit them head on. In the truck were six adults and seven children ranging in age from 18 months to 12 years. The families had gone to Las Vegas to celebrate the first communion The First Communion (First Holy Communion) is a Roman Catholic ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Roman Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Roman of a cousin. Four people were in the cab and nine in the back when their Chevy pickup collided with a 1993 Toyota Corolla The Toyota Corolla is a compact car produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the bestselling car in the world, with over 30 million sold as of 2007. at 2:20 a.m. in the two-lane, unlighted twin bridges Twin Bridges may mean:
Two Bridges is an isolated location in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, in Devon, United Kingdom. It is situated around 2. over the Big Rock Wash. The area is the only stretch of highway for several miles where drivers have no shoulder to drive onto in case an oncoming vehicle crosses the center line. Also a dip in the roadway east of the bridges hides approaching vehicles from eastbound motorists, residents say. The highway has been marked with no-passing signs for years, but motorists frequently pass anyway. The last fatal collision there was in November 2000, when a Palmdale woman and Lancaster man were killed. The woman had tried to pass a truck even though the bridges are now marked with a raised ``rumble strip'' between the lanes. Caltrans was sued that same year as a result of a fatal 1999 crash in which a Lancaster man died when a truck crossed the double-yellow lines. Killed in the 1995 crash were the truck's driver Hilario Mata Hernandez, 31, of Panorama City; passenger Norma Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the , 21, of Panorama City; and the other car's driver, 21-year-old Michael Parra of Riverside. William Chapman, attorney for the families, previously said the primary aspects that make the twin bridges stretch dangerous is the sudden narrowing of the road shoulders to the point they no longer exist, and the undulating contour of the roadway that causes lack of visibility. ``Mr. Hernandez was unable to see an approaching driver, and even if he had been able to see him, he had no area of recovery due to the suddenly narrowing shoulders,'' Chapman said earlier. ``Caltrans has known about this particular stretch for more than a decade and ... (did) nothing about it.'' An internal Caltrans report covering the period from October 1986 through September 1989 indicated the actual fatality and injury crash rate was 2 1/2 times the projected rate for similar highways. In that time period, there were 13 collisions, 12 as a result of motorists passing other cars by driving to the left of the double yellow lines double yellow lines double npl (Brit) (Aut) → double bande jaune marquant l'interdiction de stationner , and one caused by a piece of lumber extended from a truck that hit a car. Caltrans' internal report noted the center line was striped in both directions for a distance that exceeded the length required, and that there were Do Not Pass and Narrow Bridge signs in place. The report stated, ``Since the striping Interleaving or multiplexing data to increase speed. See disk striping. striping - data striping and signing in place now exceeds current requirements, it is recommended to do nothing and keep under surveillance.'' A later Caltrans report covering the period from January 1989 through December 1991 said the fatality and injury crash rate was more than six times the expected rate. The report said there were 10 crashes between May 1989 and October 1991: three caused by excessive speed and drivers ignoring the double solid yellow lines, six because of unsafe passing movement, and one from a vehicle carrying lumber that protruded from the side. ``The accidents were mainly caused by driver negligence and ignoring the solid double yellow lines. It is recommended to continue surveillance,'' the report said. The 1991 report found there was ``no apparent roadway deficiency.'' CAPTION(S): map Map: (ran in Valley and AV editions only) FATAL CRASH A lawsuit over fatal 1995 crash focuses on Highway 138's `twin bridges' area over Big Rock Wash. |
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