Two boys were injured in a San Diego car accident when the driver of an SUV veered into their bike lane and caused them to crash. According to a news report in The North County Times, the injury accident occurred the morning of November 18, 2009, when the two teenagers were riding their bicycles west on Bear Valley Parkway in Escondido. The boys, 13 and 14 years old, were riding one behind the other in the bike lane, when a tan-colored SUV swerved right in front of them. The boy riding ahead lost control of his bike and hit the curb while the other boy ran into the cyclist in front of him. He was thrown off his bicycle.

The driver, identified as a Latino woman with a Spanish accent, stopped to ask the boys if they were okay. But she drove away when the teens told her that they needed help. The 13-year-old boy was left with several bruises and a broken nose while the 14-year-old suffered leg, arm and shoulder injuries. Anyone who saw this accident is asked to call CHP in Oceanside at 760-757-1675.

Driver Ignores Teens' Request for Help

I offer my sympathies to these two children who have been badly injured in this horrific accident, which appears to have been caused by a negligent driver. I find it appalling that this woman left the scene, refusing to take responsibility, even after the children sought her help. She left two children who were hurt and bleeding on the street. Despicable! I hope that the children recover quickly and completely from both the physical and emotional trauma they must have suffered.

Hit-and-Run is a Serious Crime

Hit-and run is a serious crime in California. According to California Vehicle Code section 20001: "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident."

Further, in this case, the driver seems to have been at-fault. The teens were riding their bikes in single file in the bike lane, where they were supposed to have been riding. The driver veered into their lane. If I were a member of these children's family, I'd want to know why she swerved directly in front of the bicyclists. Was she impaired, distracted or negligent in some other way?

An experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer, will be able to advise these victims' families about how their car insurance policy will apply to a hit-and-run accident or to an incident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver. If a dangerous roadway contributed to the children's injuries, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable as well. Any claim against a governmental entity in California must be filed within six months of the accident or injury.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.

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