REDLANDS, California – Mercilena Otero, 48, of Los Angeles died Saturday morning after she veered off the Interstate 10 freeway for unknown reasons and struck the cement pillar of the overpass at Tennessee Street, according to a press release issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff Coroner Department.
According to the report, Otero was driving her 2001 Dodge Durango about 8:49 a.m. when she drove off the freeway onto the dirt shoulder just before the vehicle crashed into the overpass, the report said.
California Highway Patrol officers responding to the scene of the crash do not believe any other vehicles were involved in the crash. Paramedics responding to the scene of the fatal Redlands car accident pronounced Otero dead at the crash site at 9:07 a.m.
The crash is the second at this location this month. On July 18th, Jon Dittemore, 22, of Redlands, crashed his 2003 Toyota after it struck the cement divider in a head-on crash. He died of his injuries 10 days later on Saturday, July 28 at Loma Linda University Medical Center, according to a separate press release by the San Bernardino coroner department.
San Bernardino County Car Accident Statistics
There were 223 deaths and 7,870 injuries recorded in San Bernardino County traffic accidents in 2009, according to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic report. In California, fatal traffic accidents were down 12% to 2,715 deaths in 2010 compared to 3,090 killed in 2009, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Additionally, national statistics show that traffic fatalities have declined in recent years across the United States, down roughly 3% to 32,885 deaths in 2010 compared to 33,883 killed in 2009.
“There are no words that can lift the burden of grief and sorrow this woman’s family and friends are suffering at this time, but I sincerely hope police fully investigate this crash to find out the cause and if there were other factors involved,” Attorney West Seegmiller said. “Police need to rule out whether another driver was involved, as well as whether poor road conditions or vehicle malfunctions contributed to this crash.”
For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients who were injured in traffic accidents or have lost a loved one.
Call us today at 1-855-ASK WEST (1-855-275-9398) to speak with our car accident law firm. There is no obligation to hire our firm, but we will help you determine if you need a lawyer. Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
