Truck Accident North of San Francisco Kills 4 Family Members
June 15th, 2010 | 
Author: AMERICAN CANYON, CA – A truck accident killed four members of a family Thursday morning, June 3, 2010, in Napa County, California. The fatal collision involved two different semi trucks and occurred on Highway 12 near American Canyon, CA, north of the San Francisco metro region. The accident area is in northwest section of the state, about 42 miles southeast of Santa Rosa and about 76 miles north of San Jose, CA.
California Highway Patrol officers and emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the double truck accident. All four members of the family in the Subaru suffered fatal injuries and authorities believe they died instantly. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after 8:00a.m. Thursday morning, 48 year old Matthew J. Smith of Ashland, Oregon was driving a green Subaru Forrester west on Highway 12 in Napa County. He had three family members in his vehicle, his 19 year old daughter Laura Smith of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and his parents, Richard Smith, 80, and Sally Smith, 74, of Simsbury, Connecticut. The family was on their way to Napa Valley Wine Country for a sightseeing trip and then back to Oregon.
As Matthew Smith drove on the highway near the town of American Canyon he slowed for traffic near Kirkland Ranch Road. A westbound Volvo semi trailer truck was traveling behind the Subaru and may have been too close or traveling too fast to avoid a collision.
The 18 wheeler, driven by 42 year old Gustavo Lopez of San Bernardino, CA, slammed into the back of the Subaru. The impact of the truck accident sent the Subaru across the dividing line into the path of oncoming traffic. The 18 wheeler continued on and then slammed into a pick-up truck.
The driver of an eastbound Freightliner semi trailer flatbed truck carrying a load of concrete pipes saw the out of control Subaru, but was unable to maneuver to avoid an accident. The second semi truck, driven by Luis Marabilla, 44, of Woodland, CA, slammed into the side of the Subaru and pushed it about 200 feet down the highway. The force of the second collision crushed the Subaru, leaving it completely demolished after broad-siding the smaller vehicle the flatbed semi truck slid across the highway and ended up on the north shoulder of the highway.
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California Highway Patrol officers and emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the double truck accident. All four members of the family in the Subaru suffered fatal injuries and authorities believe they died instantly. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the semi truck that caused the fatal truck accident suffered moderated injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
The driver of the flatbed truck and the driver of the pick-up truck were not injured in the multiple truck accident.
CHP closed down a section of Highway 12 between Interstate 80 and Kelly Road for about five hours while they investigated and reconstructed the truck accident. Road crews were called in to remove the wreckage of the two collisions and clear the debris from the roadway.
At this point no charges have been brought and the truck accident remains under investigation.
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