An Ohio couple–Dennis Marshall, 61, and Karen Marshall, 59–who were in San Francisco on vacation lost their lives in a car crash on the Interstate Highway 280 off-ramp on June 14, 2010. This car accident occurred at 10:57 a.m., at the Mariposa Street off-ramp from northbound I-280 in the city’s Potrero Hill neighborhood.
The couple was travelling in a taxi from the San Francisco International Airport to the Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel. It is reported that when the taxi driver wanted to exit the highway, he realized that the taxi’s brakes have failed. He was travelling at about 40mph. The driver then applied the parking brakes, but they also failed. The taxi lost control and crashed in to a highway support beam. The tragic accident did not end here as the taxi caught fire and hit a steel mesh fence.
Despite a head-on collision with the pole, the driver was able to get out of the wrecked car himself. Unfortunately, the couple had to be pulled out from the burning taxi. The lady died soon after the accident and the gentleman died in the evening at 4:20 p.m. The taxi driver also suffered some serious injuries.
We offer our deepest condolences to the Marshall family for such a heart rendering loss and pray for their speedy recovery of the injured victims. If this accident had occurred due to speeding by the taxi, then the cab driver might need to pay compensation to Marshall family for their loss. If it is a mechanical failure, then the owner of the taxi may be held responsible for this crash. A vehicle owner is responsible for the proper maintenance of his vehicle and, if the vehicle is not properly maintained, then it is responsible for all the damages the lack of maintenance causes.
Ross Jurewitz is a car accident attorney in San Francisco and the managing lawyer of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing families of people killed in a wrongful death accident. If you or a loved one has been killed in an accident causing fatal injuries in California, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.
