Five people were injured in a Riverside car accident after their van’s tire tread separated and the driver lost control and crashed. According to a news report in The Desert Sun, the driver of the van, 32-year-old Edward Dunbar, was also arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and child endangerment. California Highway Patrol officials say Dunbar was speeding east on the 10 Freeway near the Cactus City rest area the morning of August 15, 2009, when a tread on the rear tire of the van came apart and Dunbar lost control. The van skidded across both lanes, struck the raised asphalt curb and rolled several times before crashing through a barbed wire perimeter fence. In addition to Dunbar, a 35-year-old woman, 6-year-old girl, a 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, also sustained injuries.

My heart goes out to the van’s occupants, especially the young children, two of whom were apparently seriously injured and had to be airlifted to a trauma center. Please keep these injured children in your prayers.

Riverside Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 129 fatalities and 1,279 injuries involving DUI car accidents in Riverside County. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there are at least 10,000 rollover accident deaths that occur in the United States each year – which is 25 percent of all traffic accidents in the nation.

Based on this news report, Dunbar lost control of the van because of a defective tire whose tread came apart. There are also other factors, which may have contributed to this California car accident, including Dunbar’s alleged impairment and speeding. However, I would look into whether the primary cause for this accident and the serious injuries was the tire tread separation caused by a defective tire. When a tire tread separates and you have a tire blowout occur at freeway speed, it is extremely difficult even for an experienced, sober driver to have control of the vehicle. There is no question that Dunbar should face the consequences if he is found guilty of driving under the influence.

California Auto Products Liability Attorney

However, in car accident cases that involve vehicle defects, injured victims and their families would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced California
auto products liability attorneys, who will examine the vehicle carefully for evidence of auto product defects, especially tire defects, or mechanical problems.