Long Beach Rain Causes 2 Car Accidents and Serious Personal Injury

Pouring rain seems to be one of Southern California’s biggest obstacles when it comes to driving. On the wet roads of Long Beach a series of car accidents that resulted in serious injury were reported on Thursday.

At about 7:22 a.m., a Long Beach Fire Department paramedic was injured after the rig in which he was riding in collided with a catering truck.

The LBFD paramedics were transporting a patient to St. Mary Medical Center southbound on Atlantic Avenue with their sirens and lights on when they collided with the catering truck that was attempting to cross Anaheim Street.

Sgt. Aaron Eaton, a Long Beach Police Department spokesman stated that one of the paramedics suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital along with the original patient for treatment.

Long Beach Fire Capt. Jim Arvizu told Contra Costa Times that the paramedic was released from the hospital the same day. However, workwise, it was not clear how soon the paramedic would return to the field.

About three minutes later, the second crash occurred. On Stearns Street just east of McNab Avenue a 25-year-old Baldwin Park man was found in extremely critical condition after the wreck.

Nancy Pratt a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman told the news site that the 25-year-old man, whose name has not been made public, lost control of a white 1985 Mazda GSL while driving. He was traveling at speeds that were too fast for the watery road conditions heading west on Stearns when the car entered on-coming traffic lanes and spun out.

“The vehicle was then broad-sided by a 2009 grey Nissan Rogue being driven by a 39-year-old woman from Long Beach,” Pratt said. While the driver of the Mazda was wearing a seatbelt, the impact of the crash was so intense that he was thrown out of the hatchback window.

Witnesses at the scene said one of the cars caught fire for a brief instant.

Paramedics rushed the motionless 25-year-old man to a local hospital. There he was declared to be in extremely critical condition as a result of his injuries.

The injured 39-year-old woman was also taken to the hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department paramedics. She was complaining of pain according to Pratt and may want to contact a Long Beach personal injury lawyer.

A large portion of the street was closed down as Detective Sirilo Garcia and police investigated the car wreck for several hours and sifted through the evidence.

Rainy wrecks can put a damper on your finances; contact a Long Beach Car Accident lawyer today. You may be entitled to compensation!

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