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Drowsiness May Have Led to Death in Grants Pass

10/15/09

Date: September 27, 2009
Location: Old Highway 199, south of Grants Pass, Oregon
Names: Avi Livingstone, Hana Goodkind, Ilan Goodheart, Tosh M. Mason

Driving drowsy may have been a factor in a single-car crash that killed a California mother and injured her two children and another passenger, according to the Oregon State Police.

According to Salem-News, the accident occurred at 5:06 PM, September 27, 2009, on Old Highway 199, about 38 miles south of Grants Pass, Oregon. The driver, Avi N. Livingstone, 48, of Redway, California, died at the scene. Her 8-year-old daughter, Hana Goodkind, was seriously injured, and her 12-year-old son, Ilan Goodheart, sustained minor injuries. The third passenger in the car, Tosh M. Mason, 21, of Lopez Island, Washington, was also treated for minor injuries.

Livingstone was driving her 1983 Mercedes four-door sedan south on the freeway when she swerved off the right shoulder of the road and struck a tree. Although the crash investigation was still underway as of September 28, Oregon State Police said authorities are considering driver fatigue as a factor.

Goodkind, Goodheart, and Mason were transported to area hospitals for treatment. All were wearing safety restraints at the time of the crash.

Responding to the scene, along with the state police, were the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Illinois Valley Rural Fire Protection District, AMR Ambulance Service, and the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office.

While accidents like this one can seem black or white, a closer investigation will sometimes turn up a surprise. Perhaps the driver did fall asleep at the wheel. But there are many other possibilities as well. Poor road conditions may have caused this wreck. For all we know, there may have been a large pothole that has already caused three prior accidents, or maybe there’s a blind curve with a missing warning sign. If that is the case, there may be a lawsuit available against the city/county/state. Such a lawsuit would allow the injured person to receive compensation and hopefully prevent future accidents on that stretch of road.

Maybe the car was recently brought in for a tune-up, and the mechanic replaced the steering mechanism carelessly, and the car lost steering. These things do happen, and when someone is seriously injured or killed, a Portland injury attorney can investigate and find out what truly happened. Usually at no cost. For more information on what to do in the case of an Oregon accident, contact our office or read 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.