Woman killed, Koffi Francis Desouza slightly injured after two car crash on I-80

A woman was killed and a Rocklin man suffered minor injuries Thursday in an early-morning crash on eastbound Interstate 80, east of Reed Avenue, in West Sacramento. The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene shortly after 2 a.m. and found a Mercedes Benz E350 and a 2003 Saturn Ion blocking the roadway. An approximately 30-year-old woman was trapped and had to be extricated from the Saturn, which sustained major damage to the right front, according to a CHP news release. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name has not been released pending confirmation of her identity and notification of family. The driver of the Mercedes, identified as Koffi Francis Desouza, 66, of Rocklin, suffered minor injuries and declined medical aid at the scene, according to the CHP. His vehicle sustained major damage to the right front. Officers determined that the Mercedes and Saturn collided head on. CHP officials said it is unclear whether the Saturn was traveling in the wrong direction on eastbound I-80 or had become disabled in the roadway facing the wrong way. It also has not been determined whether the rainy weather, or alcohol or drugs, were factors in the collision. Eastbound I-80 was closed from approximately an hour because of the collision.   How can a lawyer help with an auto accident claim? First, having a lawyer on your side levels the playing field.  The person who caused the accident is required to immediately turn the case over to his or her insurance company.  The insurance company uses adjusters and lawyers who are specifically trained to deny or reduce your claim.  This may include denying compensation to family members who are entitled to receive benefits for loss of companionship. Learn more here about what a lawyer does in auto accident cases.