Lucila Lopes-Romero Killed, 3 Injured in Truck Accident on SH 86 in Oasis, CA
Oasis, CA — December 26, 2022, 67-year-old Lucila Lopes-Romero died and three people were injured in a collision with a semi-truck on State Highway 86 in Oasis.
Authorities say the incident happened around 2:00 p.m. on Highway 86 at Johnson Street. Preliminary investigation suggests a semi-truck towing two trailers was eastbound on Johnson when the driver stopped at the Highway 86 intersection. The trucker then pulled forward through the highway but allegedly failed to yield to a southbound Toyota vehicle. The Toyota crashed into the semi-trailers and became wedged between them.
Lopes-Romero, a passenger in the Toyota, died while being airlifted to a Palm Springs hospital. The vehicle's driver was also airlifted with major injuries. Two passengers in the back of the vehicle were taken by ambulance for minor injuries. The truck driver was unhurt.
The investigation continues. No further information is currently available.
If early reports have their details straight some may feel there's not much else to say. A professional truck driver failed to yield and blocked the highway, so who else could even be responsible for the crash and its terrible damage? Surely the driver and their employer will take responsibility and try to make things right...right?
Not exactly. Almost no commercial truck accident ties up that neatly. Trucking companies have many tricks and strategies to help them avoid liability, no matter how the news or police reports portray a wreck. After the Oasis crash, for example, I wouldn't be surprised if they suggested the Toyota was speeding or the victims weren't wearing seat belts--either or both of which were more directly responsible for their injuries. Is that true? They may not know or even care, since disproving it falls to the victims and their families.
The point is that a company's stubbornness and inventiveness shouldn't be underestimated after a wreck. In all my years of dealing with truck accidents I've encountered just one firm that acknowledged fault and tried to make things right without a long battle. That's why I try to inform people about the challenges they might face in situations like this, and ways to overcome them. Click below to learn more.
