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Possible Drug-Related Wreck Led to Wrongful Death

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A 70-year-old California man was killed after being struck by a vehicle while riding his motorcycle. The wreck shut down part of I-680 while the California Highway Patrol investigated and cleared the scene. Aside from the apparent wrongful death of the motorcyclist, no one else was injured in the wreck.

The motorcycle was traveling some distance behind another vehicle on the northbound side of I-680 just prior to the accident. For reasons that are not yet clear, the driver of the larger vehicle made an unexpected turn and collided directly with the center divider. After striking the divider, the vehicle spun and slid across other lanes of traffic, traveling into the path of the motorcycle. Unable to avoid a collision, the two vehicles wrecked; the 70-year-old man was thrown off of his motorcycle.

Emergency responders transported the motorcyclist to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by hospital personnel. At least one other vehicle was also hit by the spinning car before it eventually came to a stop. Neither of those drivers suffered any injuries.

California authorities suspect that either alcohol or drugs might have played a role in the accident, although it does not appear as if they have filed any criminal charges just yet. Still, the absence of criminal charges does not mean that victims and their families cannot recoup damage-related compensation. Wrongful death claims are handled in the civil court system, the successful handling of which can help surviving family members address the unexpected costs of losing a loved one.

Source: mercurynews.com, "CHP: 70-year-old motorcyclist killed in I-680 crash identified", Rick Hurd, April 7, 2016

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