Three people were killed as the result of a street race crash on the 5 Freeway in Commerce.
The accident happened just after midnight on Saturday morning. The drivers of a Dodge Challenger and a Dodge Charger were racing on the southbound 5 Freeway, near Washington Blvd, at speeds reported to be up to 90 mph. The driver of the Dodge Challenger attempted to move around a slower moving vehicle at the same time that that driver was changing lanes to the right. The Challenger driver braked, lost control, and clipped the left side of a UPS big rig truck. The driver of the UPS semi lost control, slammed through the concrete divider wall, went airborne, and then hit a gray Nissan Sentra that was traveling northbound on the 5 Freeway, shearing off the Nissan’s top. The UPS tractor-trailer came to rest on top of a red Ford Explorer, then burst into flames.
Debris from the crash struck two vehicles traveling northbound on the freeway: a Chevrolet Silverado and a Chevrolet Tahoe.
Three people were killed: the driver of the UPS truck, identified as Scott Treadway, as well as the two occupants of the Nissan, Michelle Littlefield and 18-year-old Brian Lewandowski. Two others were transported to LAS-USC Medical Center with critical injuries, and two others were transported to another local hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of the Dodge Challenger, 35-year-old Dealio Lockhart of Whittier, was arrested at the scene. He admitted to the CHP that he had been racing. Lockhart faces felony vehicular manslaughter charges.
The driver of the second car involved in the street race remains at large.
Street Racing Crash – Who Pays for Injuries and Damage?
If as the result of a street racing accident, other drivers or pedestrians are injured or killed, the street racing drivers are legally responsible.
Two issues often come up with illegal street racing accidents:
- The drivers involved in the street race fled the scene and are never identified. Who do you go after for your injuries and bills?
- The drivers involved in the illegal street race have no insurance, or not enough insurance to pay for the injuries and vehicle damage they caused.
At McGee, Lerer & Associates, a Long Beach personal injury law firm, one of the first things that we look into is whether the injury victim had uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage may allow the injury victim to make a claim under their own car insurance policy if the street racing drivers had no auto insurance, or not enough insurance.
The car accident lawyers at McGee, Lerer & Associates have represented many victims of illegal street racing accidents. We know the issues involved, and aggressively seek out all sources of funds to pay our injured clients or their families.
An attorney at our firm is available 24-7 for a free consultation.