SYLMAR, California (Los Angeles County) – A woman is dead following a fiery crash when her car drove the wrong way on the westbound lanes of the 210 freeway and struck a UPS truck loaded with packages early Thursday morning, according to California Highway Patrol reports.

Just after 2 a.m., the female driver was reportedly on driving against traffic on the freeway when she struck the UPS truck just east of Roxford Street in Sylmar. The tractor-trailer truck veered into the center divider and ignited, but its driver managed to escape relatively unharmed. Many of the packages inside the truck were strewn onto the freeway with some catching fire.

Paramedics responding to the scene of the crash pronounced her dead at the site of the fiery wreck.

Police investigate every car accident involving a death to determine the cause of a crash in order to find out who is liable to the other party for damages, said Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm in Irvine. The investigation will seek to find out if either driver was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or distracted. Also, police are seeking to find out if there are circumstances that may have led to the crash that were illegal or reckless.

“Families of victims killed in car accidents not only have to cope with the loss of a loved one, but later their lives may be forever changed due to the loss of income and other costs,” said Seegmiller. “We all pay to have insurance to cover us in case there is an accident because the victims will need money for their medical needs and so many other financial losses.”

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.

If you have lost a loved one in a car accident we know that this is a difficult time. We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the victim. If someone else was responsible for this accident it’s important that you act quickly to protect your rights and future. For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients who were injured in serious traffic accidents or have lost a loved one.

Our legal team has also handled hundreds of wrongful death claims for families of victims killed in traffic accidents. Our staff is compassionate and understands the pain its clients are going through. We know that this is a difficult time for those who have been injured and for the families of those who have been killed. Our firm has a proven track record supported by settlements ranging from several thousand dollars to millions.

Call us today at 1-855-ASK WEST (1-855-275-9378) to speak with our car accident law firm. 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.