A driver who failed to stop at a light in Hawthorne caused a two-car crash, sending one car crashing into a fire hydrant and causing the intersection to flood with rapid streams of water. According to reports, the traffic light in question had been out due to a power outage at the time of the crash. According to the Los Angeles Times, Hawthorne police lieutenant Jim Royer said that while it was unclear whether the power outage cause the accident, “obviously someone didn’t stop.” Three people were taken to a nearby hospital with injuries due to the collision, though it is not yet known how severe those injuries were, or what current condition the injured individuals are in.
If you have taken the driving test in California, you know that the California Vehicular Code requires that where a traffic light is not functioning (like in this case, due to a power outage), drivers are to treat the traffic light as a stop sign. If it is determined that one of the cars failed to yield the right of way at that traffic-light-converted-to-stop-sign, the driver of that car will likely be liable for negligently injuring the others involved in the accident, and will likely be facing a lawsuit. This means that the negligent driver could be liable for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, and other damages, caused to the other people involved in the accident, and stemming from the accident that the negligent driver caused by failing to yield.