Six foreign students from the Bay Area were killed on February 19, 2009 after their 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser sport utility vehicle went out of control, rolled over and crashed into a tree. According to this article in the Santa Maria Times, the SUV’s driver, Jeanne Ostrowski, 19, drove into the median on the southbound 101 Freeway near Los Alamos and for unknown reasons overcorrected. The SUV then crossed the southbound lanes before rolling over and crashing. Two passengers were ejected and the vehicle burst into flames. All of the deceased victims were between 18 and 30 years old.

My heart goes out to the families of those who were killed in this horrific California SUV rollover crash as well as the driver, Jeanne Ostrowski, who has been hospitalized with major injuries. I offer my deepest condolences to the families and friends of all the young people who died in this crash. Please keep them in your prayers. I also wish Ostrowski the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

California Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, which is looking into this tragic accident, has determined that alcohol was not a factor and also that Ostrowski was not speeding at the time of the crash. However, they have not yet determined whether or not the occupants of the Land Cruiser were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. Ostrowski’s life was saved because of Good Samaritan, retired Kings County firefighter John Duthie, who stopped and pulled Ostrowski out of the vehicle before it became fully engulfed in flames. He is no doubt a true hero.

There are many reasons why this accident could have occurred. Rollover accidents cause the most damage of all auto crashes because of their intensity and impact on vehicle occupants. Rollover accidents account for 25 percent of all auto accident fatalities in the United States on an average each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). SUVs are more prone to overturning because of their high center of gravity, which makes them unstable even at low or normal speeds. These vehicles can go even more out of control when a driver attempts to overcorrect, which is exactly what happened in this case.

The other issue of concern is whether the seat restraint system functioned properly at the time of the crash. Two of the victims were ejected from the vehicle. It is very important to determine whether they were buckled up. If they were, that means they were ejected and possibly died from those injuries because their seatbelts failed. I would urge the injured victim as well as the families of the deceased victims to retain the services of a reputed Los Angeles auto product defect law firm to help determine whether inherent product defects in the Toyota Land Cruiser were contributing factors in this catastrophic SUV rollover crash.

I would advice family members to preserve the SUV in its current crashed state so it can be carefully examined by an expert for mechanical malfunction, auto product defects, seatbelt failure, engine defect and other evidence. If I were representing these victims’ families, I would start by having an expert examine the Toyota Land Cruiser for seatbelt defects or seatbelt failure.

A seatbelt system can fail in a variety of ways. A number of side release belts are prone to false latching and many end release belts are likely to unlatch during a crash. Our firm has seen many cases of seatbelt failure involving mounts, buckles, webbing and grabbers. A resourceful auto product defect lawyer will also have the body of the ejected person examined for evidence of seatbelt bruising or marking. They would also test the webbing microscopically for marks, blood stains or other indicators that would show the seatbelt was in use at the time of the accident and seatbelt failure caused the victim to be ejected from the vehicle. The best California vehicle rollover accident attorneys always provide a free and comprehensive initial consultation and case evaluation.