2 dead in Monday afternoon wreck on Highway 85
SAN JOSE, CA, (August 26, 2024) - Two people, including a teenager, lost their lives Monday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision involving a wrong-way motorist in San Jose.
Rebecca Olsen was fatally injured Monday afternoon when the vehicle she was driving was struck by a wrong-way motorist along Highway 85 in San Jose.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a Toyota pickup truck heading southbound along the northbound side of Highway 85 crashed into a northbound Tesla around 3 p.m.
The driver of the Tesla, San Jose resident Rebecca Joanne Olsen, tragically died at the site of the crash.
A 14-year-old traveling in the Tesla was also pronounced dead at the scene.
The 39-year-old Florida man driving the pickup was hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
The incident remains under investigation.
CRASH INVESTIGATION NEEDED
Incidents such as this could be avoided if people behind wheels abide by traffic rules but, unfortunately, that did not happen in this case.
Wrong-way drivers endanger the lives of everyone on the road, and such accidents can occur for various reasons, including driver error, distracted driving, and poor road design.
NTSB statistics reveal that as many as 75 percent of all wrong-way crashes are the result of a driver getting behind the wheel while under the influence.
“Road conditions, visibility, and lighting are all possible contributing factors that are considered and must thoroughly be examined,” said Candice Bond, a Managing Partner with Bond Legal.
“An accident reconstruction team is sometimes needed to help piece together what happened. All of these resources are necessary for helping clients receive monetary compensation for damages or a loss following a collision,” said Bond, a well-known auto accident attorney.
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
Pending the investigation, the family members of Rebecca Olsen may be entitled to a wrongful death claim. Family members of wrongful death victims may seek damages for loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and emotional distress following a tragic or catastrophic accident such as this.
“The stress and sorrow can be extremely overwhelming after losing a loved one in an accident,” Stefano Formica, of counsel at Bond Legal.
“We understand just what families are forced to go through, and having their rights protected is vital. A wrongful death lawyer will stay updated on the official investigation and help ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.”
If you or a family member have been involved in a situation similar to this article and would like to speak to our national legal analysts Candice Bond or Stefano Formica free of charge, please use the contact information found on this page
(Candice Bond, Managing Partner, and Stefano Formica, Of Counsel, at Bond Legal, are the national legal analysts for Newsline. 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).