Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Stanley Franklin Spaeth Jr. of south Sacramento was killed Saturday night after a suspected drunken driver struck his motorcycle as he rode home from work – his second job, one that family members said he took to pay for his oldest daughter's upcoming tuition – and sent his body hurtling through the air.

Officers arrested Rebecca Vela, a 33-year-old Sacramento woman, and booked her into the Sacramento County Main Jail on charges of murder, driving under the influence, and hit and run, according to Elk Grove police. If convicted, court records show it will be Vela's fourth drunken driving offense since 1994.

The accident occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, as Spaeth was northbound on East Stockton Boulevard, said Elk Grove Police Officer Chris Trim. Vela, driving alone in her 1997 Acura TL, was northbound on the same street at a "high rate of speed" and rear-ended Spaeth's motorcycle, Trim said.

Spaeth was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries. He was 54.

"He was killed instantly," Schulzke said. "He had no opportunity to react defensively."

Trim said officers initially booked Vela on suspicion of murder and drunken driving, but the District Attorney's Office added the hit-and-run charge because she was "actively trying to leave" when officers arrived at the scene.

Continue reading "South Sacramento Motorcyclist Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver" »

I have been riding for years and I take pride in my rider skill level. I do all of the right stuff, all of the time. I wear a helmet. I maintain a buffer zone around me, never riding side by side with any cars and so on.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning as I rode along Auburn Boulevard here in Sacramento, California. This stretch of Auburn Boulevard is four lanes, two in each direction, posted speed limit 35 mph, and the road is tree lined residential with businesses and apartments dotting the roadside.

My Harley was running great; the air was warm and sweet with the summer smells of gardens and pine. I was in the left lane doing about 40 mph with a slower car on my right side in the slow lane. I had seen this car from about a half mile behind and it was riding along straight and true, no problem. I intended to just continue on past it and continue my ride.

Without warning, another can changed lanes from the slow lane into my lane. It was doing 50 or 55 mph and never hesitated as it roared into my right side.

The way accidents happen on a motorcycle is that they happen right now. I mean right now! You make a decision and go with it right now. Making no decision or a slow decision is not an option.

Continue reading "Sacramento Motorcycle Rider Loses Focus" »

Anthony James Payne, 23, was thrown 200 feet as a result of a head-on collision between his Honda motorcycle and a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am car. It was after 7:45 PM on Thursday evening, August 14th on Carson Road in Camino. Carson Road is a secondary road that parallels HWY 50 about five miles east of Placerville on the road from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe.

(See the Sacramento Bee article Tuesday, November 25, 2008)

When a 388 pound motorcycle (Honda 1000) hits a 3,066 pound 2004 Pontiac Grand Am, head-on, at speed, the end result is a predictable tragedy. The motorcycle rider is dead and the young age of 23. The driver of the car, Melissa Nicole Nichols, 23, survived the crash and was booked into El Dorado County Jail on Friday (08-15-08) on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.

The suspicion of vehicular manslaughter charge means that the police suspect that this crash was not just a horrific accident, but a horrific accident that could have been prevented.

But for the motorcycle rider, Anthony James Payne, what could have happened no longer matters. It no longer matters to his family, his friends, his ambitions or his dreams. You just cannot reach into the past and change the outcome.

Anthony James Payne was not the only victim of this tragedy. His loved ones have become unwilling victims of the Thursday evening head-on collision. They have lost a loved one. Their lives have been unalterably changed forever.

Here at the Law Office of Moseley Collins (Sacramento, California), we believe that you have the right to an experienced attorney who will fight for the compensation you deserve. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and need help, please call us at 916.444.4444. There is never a fee until we win your case.

I can't tell you enough how dangerous I think motorcycles are. Each time I see one driving down the Sacramento freeway, I am just waiting for a horrible accident to happen.

I was reading an article today that confirmed this dread in me regarding motorcycles. In Irvine, Ca, a man on a motorcycle was changing lanes when his handlebar hit a tractor-trailer next to him. His motorcycle swiftly swerved into and bounced off of a Mercedes-Benz, sending him back toward the tractor-trailer, which then ran over the man. He died at the scene.

Trust me, I know how much fun it would be to have the air in your hair, the freedom of the ride, the roar of the engine beneath your legs... but stories like this will always prevent me from riding a motorcycle.

Here are some quick facts by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

* 4008 motorcyclists died in 2004
* 76,000 were injured in 2004
* 1158 lives were saved by wearing helmets
* 640 lives could have been saved by wearing helmets
* 1 in 3 motorcyclists that died in 2004 were speeding

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a motorcycle crash, please give us a call here at the Law Office of Moseley Collins. We are here to help.

Be careful out there...

Click here for more information on motorcycle statistics.

Click here for more information about the news article.