A car driving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of Interstate 280 in Palo Alto collided with another car at 12:56 a.m. on September 11. The accident occurred at Page Mill Road between a Chevrolet Cruze and a Nissan Sentra. On the day of the crash, the California Highway Patrol had not determined which vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction.

Palo Alto and Woodside firefighters responded to the scene of the accident and had to free both drivers from their vehicles before they were transported to Stanford Medical Center. The 23-year-old driver of the Chevrolet Cruze died at the hospital. The injuries to the 21-year-old driver of the Nissan Sentra were considered life-threatening.

CHP received a number of calls about a vehicle traveling the wrong direction on the roadway a few minutes before the crash. A CHP spokesman said there were no definite indications that drugs or alcohol factored in to the accident.

Car accidents can be initiated by any of a number of circumstances. Low visibility, poor road conditions and obstructed or unclear signs are some of the circumstances that may be considered along with the human element. Driving with numerous distractions, traveling at excessive speeds and driving while intoxicated are just some of the ways drivers can contribute to an accident.

A lawyer could potentially help accident victims recover damages for economic harms they have suffered from those incidents. Some examples of such expenses include medical bills, vehicle repairs or replacement costs and income lost from being left physically unable to work after a crash. In building cases for their clients, personal injury attorneys may be able to find evidence of a defendant's negligence by reviewing witness statements and police reports.

Source: SFGate, "Wrong-way driving on I-280 turns deadly in Palo Alto", Henry K. Lee, September 11, 2014