Tuesday's wreck on Highway 12 claims life of Tracy woman, authorities say
SAN ANDREAS, CA, (February 04, 2025) - One person died, and another was seriously hurt in a crash involving multiple vehicles west of San Andreas, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Tara Miller, a 54-year-old resident of Arnold, was hospitalized with major injuries, and a passenger in her vehicle died following a multi-vehicle wreck Tuesday afternoon on Highway 12, per the CHP.
It happened on Tuesday at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Based on preliminary findings, a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by a 16-year-old was traveling westbound on Highway 12 while coming from the opposite direction was a 2014 Jeep Cherokee operated by a 27-year-old man. Traveling behind the Jeep was Tara Miller in her 2005 Dodge Ram truck, along with an unidentified 46-year-old passenger from Tracy. At some point, the teen drove into oncoming traffic while attempting to travel in the slow lane of the highway near Central Hill Road and ended up sideswiping the Jeep.
Authorities said the impact pushed the juvenile's Chevy pickup head-on into Miller's Dodge Ram.
Miller, 54, of Arnold, was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital with major injuries. Her passenger—the Tracy woman—died as a result of injuries.
The investigation is underway.
CRASH INVESTIGATION NEEDED
Each year, motor vehicle crashes in this country kill roughly 36,000 people and injure 1.9 million more. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding was the primary cause of fatal crashes in 2018, followed by the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication; failure to stay in the proper lane; failure to yield the right of way; and distracted driving.
“Road conditions, visibility, and lighting are all possible contributing factors considered and examined,” said Candice Bond, an experienced auto accident attorney and 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.
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM
Tara Miller may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim pending an investigation.
Bond, a national legal analyst for Newsline, said, “Injured victims involved in a collision often seek a personal injury claim to cover the cost of medical bills, future medical care, loss of income, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering.
“Insurance companies can be notoriously unconcerned with the mounting costs that an injured party may accrue. An attorney can help. We protect the victims of these tragedies daily, forcing the insurance companies to pay for their mistakes,” she added.
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).