Sunday's wreck involving box truck claims life of Bakersfield man, authorities say
TEHAMA, CA, (December 08, 2024) - A Bakersfield resident tragically lost his life after the box truck he was riding in crashed Sunday afternoon in Tehama County, according to the Coroner's Office.
Mark Sales, a 30-year-old resident of Bakersfield, was killed in a crash along Highway 32 in Tehama County Sunday afternoon, the Highway Patrol said in a release.
The California Highway Patrol's preliminary report showed a white/orange U-Haul GMC Savana Box Van was traveling on Highway 32 westbound at milepost marker 32 TEH 8.70 around 1:53 p.m. when the driver ran off the roadway for unknown reasons and fell down an embankment. The box truck subsequently slammed into a tree, leaving a passenger—Mark Sales, 30—with fatal injuries.
The driver, a 47-year-old Victorville resident, was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.
Authorities say an investigation is underway.
CRASH INVESTIGATION NEEDED
Candice Bond, an experienced commercial accident attorney, said that in such cases, it is imperative to have an independent investigation conducted promptly to protect the rights of a victim.
"Commercial accidents are often complex, and many factors can play a role in these types of accidents," said Bond, a Managing Partner of Bond Legal.
"A skilled attorney can protect victims from trucking companies, which often send their own investigators to crash sites and possess a variety of resources they can utilize to defend a negligent truck driver."
"Your lawyer can advocate for you by hiring expert witnesses, conducting driver background checks, locating witnesses to the crash, and reviewing applicable insurance coverage, while carefully guiding a victim through the legal process."
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
The family of Mark Sales may pursue compensation for damages such as costs associated with the death, loss of income and companionship, and other hardships.
"A death to a family member after an accident is both tragic and devastating to a surviving family. The grief, shock, and anger can be overwhelming," said Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Newsline.
She added, "Aside from the emotional suffering of those left behind, the death of someone close can have devastating financial implications. Loss of income and funeral costs alone can have tragic consequences when a family member is lost."
Have you been in a similar accident and need help? Speak to Newsline's national legal analyst Candice Bond now free of charge for a no-obligation consultation
(Candice Bond, our national legal analyst, is a Managing Partner at Bond Legal. Newsline can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Bond Legal to help you, please call 866-985-6515 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).