Construction Workers Killed in DUI Accident

A drunk driving accident in a marked construction zone on the 405 Freeway killed two workers early Sunday morning in Torrance.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal accident occurred in a closed portion of the northbound lanes of the freeway near Crenshaw and Artesia boulevards at around 3:40 a.m., where two vehicles crossed into the coned off area and crashed into each other.

The collision sent the two vehicles spinning off into the construction zone, where three workers, contracted by CalTrans, were struck. Two of those workers, 56 year old Ramon Lopez of Chino Hills, and 58 year old Ricardo Zamora of Winchester, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The third worker, who was sent over the guardrail upon impact, suffered moderate injuries and was sent to a nearby hospital where he was expected to be released later in the afternoon.

The two drivers in the accident, 23 year old Jonathan Gomez or Norwalk and 43 year old Stephen Christopher Casenta of Playa Vista, suffered minor injuries in the crash, and were immediately taken into custody at the scene after failing a field sobriety test.

At this time, no further information into the accident has been released by police. It is not known what led to the initial collision between the two vehicles. A thorough investigation into the crash is still ongoing. Once more definitive information is determined, more will be released.

The crash forced the closure of all northbound lanes of the 405 as the scattered debris from the accident and the construction site was cleaned up. The freeway remained closed down for more than 10 hours before finally being reopened early in the afternoon.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a crash with a drunk driver, help is available to you. If you are finding yourself struggling to carry the financial weight resulting from the damages you have incurred, you may be entitled to compensation to help you move towards recovery, which we at AA Accident Attorneys can help you receive in full.

We are a group of well-qualified Orange County injury attorneys with years of experience representing people just like you.

We can help you win settlement from the liable parties involved in your accident to give you the ability to pay off your expensive medical bills, car repair payments, or any other bills that might be outside of your capacity to cover on your own.

We will not charge you anything for our legal services until your case is won. Call our injury attorneys today for your free evaluation and to learn what options are available to you!