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.

February 24, 2010 – Randy Fredrick Evans, 49, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on a curving stretch of SR-67 north of Lakeside on Sunday.

Evans, of North County, lost control of his northbound vehicle near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road about 2:40 p.m. Sunday, causing it to skid across the pavement and overturn, according to the California Highway Patrol and San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Evans died of head injuries at the scene.

The accident happened on a dangerous stretch of highway that ascends into foothills near a quarry south of Poway.

February 23, 2010 – Phyllis Lorraine Kirk, 65, of San Diego, was killed this morning when her sport utility vehicle, clipped by a taxi, overturned on southbound I-5 near B street.

The cab driver, Andai Ogbagebri, 47, of San Diego, was changing lanes when his southbound 2006 Ford Crown Victoria hit the back end of Kirk’s SUV, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The SUV skidded out control and flipped over, coming to rest upside-down, CHP public affairs Officer Ray Scheidnes said. Kirk died at the scene.

Ogbagebri, who was uninjured, stopped after the accident and was interviewed by CHP officers. Two other witnesses also were interviewed, Garland said.

The CHP closed the southbound side of the freeway in the area to allow for investigations and cleanup, diverting traffic onto nearby SR-94, Scheidnes said.

February 23, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI),  Cooper Tire is recalling certain Discoverer H/T and Discoverer LSX tires, size 245/70R17, produced between November 15 and December 12, 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.

February 23, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), Toyo Tire Holdings Of Americas, Inc. is recalling certain of the following All Terrain tires:  Nitto Terra Grappler All Terrain, size 305/50R20 120S, manufactured from April 19, 2009 through October 17, 2009; and Toyo Open Country A/T and Toyo Proxes ST II, size 305/50R20, manufactured from May 31, 2009 through August 8, 2009

Some of the subject tires may have been produced with a wrinkle in the upper sidewall area of the tires. Under certain circumstances, this wrinkle may eventually lead to a crack in the sidewall.  If a crack develops and is left undetected, the tire may fail, potentially causing a crash, possibly resulting in injury or death.

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 22, 2010 – A driver suspected of hitting and killing a woman on her way to work Friday was arrested at his Encanto home Saturday.

Officers arrested Bruce Hanson, 51, who is to be booked on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run, said San Diego Police Sgt. Steve Waldeim.

Alejandra Vazquez, 35, of San Diego, was killed as she parked her car at about 2:15 a.m. Friday near the I-805 ramps at Market Street.

A metallic-blue SUV speeding east on Market smashed into the woman as her mother watched, police said. The impact threw Vazquez across some parked vehicles, and she fell beneath the back end of a pickup.

Investigators recovered a piece of the suspect vehicle’s front end at the site.

About 9 a.m. Saturday, a worker at a salvage yard called San Diego Police to report the likely hit-and-run vehicle was there, Officer Bruce Ruff said.  Ruff said the man found the Subaru Forester with blood at the damaged front end, keys on the dash, and no license plates.

The worker had seen news accounts of the incident that included a description of the vehicle.

Ruff said a forensic evidence technician determined the Forester was the suspect vehicle.  Waldeim said investigators used the vehicle identification number to trace the registered owner’s name and address.

Hanson showed traces of minor injuries, Waldeim said.  Investigators are looking into whether alcohol may have been a factor in the incident, and the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office, he said.

February 19, 2010 – A woman on her way to work in Chollas View was fatally struck by a blue station wagon in a hit-and-run accident early Friday, police said.

The crash near Market and Euclid streets occurred around 2:15 a.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.

The woman, who was in her 30s and worked for a catering truck company, had just parked her vehicle and exited it when the station wagon struck her, police said.

At least two people witnessed the accident, said Ken Hubbs of the San Diego Police, adding that they saw the station wagon heading eastbound on Market Street.

The car was described as an older model Japanese-make station wagon that is either blue or bluish purple, San Diego Police Officer Brad Ruff said.

The vehicle should be missing a part of the front of the car’s right front bumper, which was left at the scene of the accident, and the passenger’s front window on the right side is broken. The vehicle also should have some red paint on it that may have transferred from the victim’s car.

The driver was described as white, in his 50s, with white or gray curly hair.

The woman died at the scene, he said.  Her name has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

February 18, 2010 – Daniele International Inc., is expanding its January 23 recall to include approximately 115,000 pounds of salami/salame products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said today.

The recall is being expanded as a result of a confirmed finding of Salmonella in an unopened salami product tested by FSIS, and by ingredient testing performed by the company.

The product was sampled during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses. These products were not subject to recall previously because they are not sausage products that contain black pepper on the external surface, or packaged with such products. Based on preliminary testing results, the company believes that crushed red pepper may be a possible source of Salmonella contamination.

Further testing is ongoing at a state health partner laboratory, and may determine if the product contained the Salmonella Montevideo strain associated with the multi-state outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FSIS, state health and agriculture departments, and Daniele International are cooperating in this investigation.

The CDC has posted information about the multi-state outbreak on its website (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella)  but the investigation is ongoing and the root cause of the contamination has not yet been determined.

The products subject to recall include:

• 8-oz. pkgs. of “Daniele Hot Salame Panino With Fresh Mozzarella.”
• 8-oz. pkgs. of “Boar’s Head Salame Panino, Salame Rolled In Mozzarella Cheese.”
• 8-oz. pkgs. of “Daniele Italian Style Salame Panino, Hot Salame Rolled In Mozzarella Cheese.”
• Random weight pkgs. of “Daniele Italian Style Salame Panino, Hot Salame Rolled In Mozzarella Cheese.”
• 8-oz. pkgs. of “Dietz & Watson Artisan Collection Hot Salame Panino, Hot Salame Rolled In Mozzarella Cheese.”
• 8-oz. pkgs. of “Daniele Salame Panino With Fresh Mozzarella And Basil.”
• 1-lb. 8-oz. variety pkgs. of “Daniele Capocollo Panino With Fresh Mozzarella And Basil; President’s Prosciutto Panino With Fresh Mozzarella And Basil; Hot Salame Panino With Fresh Mozzarella,” with UPC Code 736436709582.

NOTE: The products contained in this variety three-pack may be sold individually as well.

Each package bears a label with establishment number “EST. 459″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. The above products are sold individually packed, except as noted above. The products subject to recall have sell-by dates ranging from February 3, 2010, through May 26, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers (including restaurants) of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial food-borne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

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 16, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), Honda is recalling the following passenger vehicles: Model Year (MY) 2001-2002 Honda Accord 2- and 4-door; MY 2001-2003 Honda Civic 4-Door; MY 2001-2002 Honda Civic 2-Door; MY 2002 Honda CRV; MY 2002 Honda Odyssey; MY 2003 Honda Pilot; MY 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL; and MY 2003 Acura 3.2CL.

The driver’s airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.  Metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.

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.