A three-vehicle crash resulted in two deaths and several injuries on Jan. 4, and the California Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred at around 6:17 p.m. on Highway 84. The Sunol crash happened when a 2007 Toyota Corolla headed west turned left while attempting to move onto eastbound Vallecitos Road.

After turning, the Toyota collided with a BMW 530i. The BMW was sent eastbound on the highway after the initial crash, and the BMW then struck a 2013 Infiniti JX35 SUV head-on. Highway 84 was closed for about 2.5 hours in both directions after the wreck.

The 27-year-old man driving the BMW died at the scene of the accident, and the female passenger in the BMW, who was also 27, died at Eden Medical Center the next day. The 71-year-old male driver of the Infiniti and the passengers in the Infiniti, a 68-year-old woman and a child, all suffered minor injuries and went to Valley Medical Center for treatment.

The 50-year-old Toyota driver and was taken to Eden Medical Center by airlift after receiving major injuries, and he was reportedly in stable condition on Jan. 5. The authorities are still investigating the accident but do not believe substance abuse or alcohol played a role in the crash.

If a police investigation reveals that the driver of the Toyota is responsible for the accident, the family members of the victims who died could choose to file a wrongful death suit in civil court. Victims or their loved ones could receive compensation after car accidents involving negligence. Though the police do not suspect drug or alcohol use, negligence could also occur if, for instance, a driver is distracted and texting instead of paying attention to the road.

Source: San Jose Mercury News, “Sunol: Two dead, four injured in crash on Highway 84”, Rick Hurd, Jan. 5, 2015