A fatal three-vehicle accident occurred on Sep. 13 in Manteca. The California Highway Patrol reported that a teenager died as a result of the crash, which caused a fire on Highway 120 near Main Street.

That is where traffic was decelerating when an eastbound 2014 Dodge Caravan collided with a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis, which in turn crashed into a 1999 Lexus, according to officials. The Mercury caught on fire as a result of the collision, reportedly. A 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle did not survive the incident, officials stated.

Emergency personnel airlifted the driver of the Mercury, a 45-year-old woman, to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento with injuries that officials described as major. Investigators reportedly suspect that the 26-year-old driver of the Caravan may have been moving at a speed that was too fast for the traffic conditions. The Caravan driver and a passenger from the vehicle both suffered minor injuries, officials reported. Moreover, the 29-year-old driver of the Lexus and a 10-year-old passenger in that vehicle suffered injuries requiring hospitalization as a result of the wreck.

When multi-car crashes like this one occur, the police investigation may take a significant period of time to complete. If the results of the investigation were to indicate that the wreck could have been avoided if not for the reckless or negligent driving of another party, then the people who suffered damages in connection with the incident may have grounds to pursue civil action. For this reason, many accident victims and families of deceased accident victims retain a personal injury attorney following the event. If a lawsuit appears viable, the attorney may proffer information and evidence gleaned from the police investigation in an effort to prove that the at-fault party should be held liable for the accident.

Source: The Modesto Bee, "Johansen High School student killed in fiery crash in Manteca", Patty Guerra , September 15, 2014