March 10, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), Daihatsu is recalling certain Model Year 1990-1992 Rocky sport utility vehicles.

The check valve in the fuel vapor evaporative emission control system might develop a crack in long-term vehicle usage due to insufficient durability under some environmental or operational circumstances.  A leak of fuel evaporative gas vapor into the vehicle cabin may occur, potentially resulting in a fire.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today.

March 8, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), Pep Boys has notified NHTSA about a noncompliance in certain Definity Dakota H/T tires, size 245/70R/17, produced between November 15 and November 28, 2009.

These tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139, “New Pneumatic Radial Tires For Light Vehicles.”  At various mileages, the subject tires may develop and exhibit tread chunking or cracking in the tread shoulder area. Tread chunks may separate from the tire casing resulting in body damage to the vehicle or the driver may lose control resulting in a crash.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today.

March 8, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), TBC Corporation has notified NHTSA about a noncompliance in certain Cyclone Radial SUV tires, size 245/70R/17, produced between November 15 and December 19, 2009.

These tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139, “New Pneumatic Radial Tires For Light Vehicles.”  At various mileages, the subject tires may develop and exhibit tread chunking or cracking in the tread shoulder area.  Tread chunks may separate from the tire casing resulting in body damage to the vehicle or the driver may lose control resulting in a crash.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today.

March 1, 2010 – A San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy trying to catch up to a wrong-way driver on a freeway was killed when his marked SUV rolled several times down a ravine on SR-52, Sheriff William Gore said Sunday.

Deputy Ken Collier, 39, died at a hospital shortly after the 3:22 a.m. wreck on the freeway in the mountains between Santee and Tierrasanta, the sheriff announced. A 25-year-old sheriff’s dispatcher who was also in the county SUV, Ryan DeBellis, was injured, the sheriff said.

An allegedly drunken driver who was the subject of the chase was caught nearby. Jose Jasso Lopez, 22, will be charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving, Gore said.

“(Collier) was trying to prevent a serious collision but became involved in a serious collision himself,” said CHP officer Brian Pennings.

The deputy and dispatcher were heading west on SR-52 from Santee, when they spotted a wrong-way driver coming at them, and reported the incident to his dispatcher, Pennings said.

The deputy turned around and radioed dispatch that he was trying to overtake the driver.  His Ford Expedition, traveling on the paved portion of the center median, collided with a bridge abutment, went over the lip of a steep ravine that is bridged by the freeway, and rolled several times, Pennings said.

Witnesses at the crash scene reported that it was foggy with wet roads at the time.

The Expedition caught fire after impact, Pennings said.

According to Gore, Collier somehow ended up away from his crashed vehicle. DeBellis, who  “amazingly” only suffered serious bruises, extricated himself, the sheriff said.

“Deputy Collier was able to radio dispatch about the accident,” touching off a very difficult rescue operation, Gore said.

Collier died after he was flown to a hospital.

March 1, 2010 – Sarah Rachelle Phillips, 31, of San Diego, was killed Saturday in a crash off a highway transition ramp, officials with the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office said Sunday.

Phillips was driving her Nissan Xterra south on I-805 about 11:10 a.m. Saturday when she took the connector ramp to south SR- 15, where she hit a puddle and spun out of control, authorities said.

The SUV veered off the roadway and rolled several times. Phillips was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, officials said.

February 16, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), BMW is recalling certain Model Year 2010 X5 and X6 sport activity vehicles manufactured between December 14, 2009 and December 16, 2009.  

In the upper right area of the windshield, bonding may be insufficient over a length of approximately 50 centimeters (19.7 inches).  In the case of a rollover, the stability of the roof could be affected increasing the risk of injuries.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today.

February 5, 2010 – A rollover crash in northwest Bakersfield Thursday morning slowed traffic for short time during the morning commute.

The Bakersfield Police Department said the crash happened around 9 a.m. at Brimhall and Allen roads.

Sergeant Mary DeGeare said Michael Walden, 22, was traveling south on Allen Road in a red 1991 Ford Explorer.

Walden told police that he experienced brake problems approaching the red light at Brimhall.

Police said he swerved to miss stopped traffic at the intersection, entered the intersection against the red and collided with Taylor Boles, 19, who was traveling east on Brimall Road in a blue 1993 Geo on the green light.

Police said the collision caused the Explorer to roll over and come to rest about 100 feet south of the intersections.

Both drivers sustained minor injuries.

January 12, 2010 – A flat tire caused a Toyota 4Runner to roll over and land on its roof on the northbound 57 freeway just north of Tonner Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Cuong Thach from Pomona was headed home after dropping his wife off when the rollover happened.

“I prayed to God to save me as I was rolling,” Thach said. “He saved me.”

CHP officer Alvin Yamaguchi said Thach got a flat from a bald back tire.

January 1, 2010 – A five-vehicle crash in the Midway District left a mother and daughter injured Thursday morning, officials said.

The driver of a Toyota 4-Runner reportedly rear-ended a Toyota Camry, causing the Camry to crash into other three other vehicles and overturn.

The crash left a nine-year-old girl with a serious head injury, and her 46-year-old mother and the 35-year-old SUV driver with less severe injuries.

The driver of the 4-Runner is suspected of being under the influence of prescription drugs, police said.

December 11, 2009 – Veronica Elizabeth Aguirre, 17, of Poway, was killed early today in a North County rollover crash that may have been alcohol-related, authorities said.

Ms. Aguirre was killed when she lost control of her black Kia Sportage as she drove west on Mountain Meadow Road at Champagne Boulevard in the Hidden Meadows area.  The car rolled several times.

The crash was reported at 1:09 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Ms. Aguirre died at the crash scene.