Emily Monique Reyes, 16, killed, and Brittany Arreola, 19, Gino Lopez, 21, and Henry Aguilar, 18, injured in car wreck on Cuesta Grade near San Luis Obispo, California
Teen killed in one of two alleged DUI crashes on the Cuesta Grade
The first crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. Gino Lopez, 21, of Arvin was allegedly driving his 1994 Honda Civic at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a metal guardrail and tractor-trailer combination. Besides the 16-year-old girl who was killed, his passengers included 19-year-old Brittany Arreola and 18-year-old Henry Aguilar, all of Wasco.
Teen killed in Cuesta Grade crash was ‘a good girl, with a good heart'
Lopez was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of murder, gross vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated, felony driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office website. He was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail as of Sunday evening.
Why every fatality from a crash is not legally a wrongful death
After someone dies in a motor-vehicle accident, grieving family members and friends are often left with many questions. What caused the accident? Could it have been avoided? What do they do now that their loved one is gone?
Sometimes a fatal collision happens through no one's fault. Crashes caused by weather and road conditions, or by wildlife in the roadway, are examples. But when a fatal crash is caused by negligence, then family members should pursue a wrongful death claim, to uphold the victim's rights and begin the financial recovery process. Learn more about wrongful death claims here.
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