Standing on a California Freeway After a Crash: The Devastating Risk of Secondary Collisions

In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 25, a person standing in the lanes of the westbound 101 Freeway near White Oak Avenue in Encino was killed in a chain-reaction crash that began with a single disabled vehicle. According to the California Highway Patrol, a solo crash left a car stopped in the number one lane. A second vehicle then rear-ended it. Moments later, a third vehicle struck the wreckage and at least one person who had stepped out of a vehicle.

Video obtained by KTLA shows how little time people on scene had to react. One driver reportedly avoided being hit by jumping over the center divider to the opposite side of the freeway. Another person did not survive.

The headline is tragic, but the legal issue is familiar: secondary collisions after a disabled vehicle or initial crash. These incidents often turn a survivable collision into a fatal or catastrophic one because the people involved are exposed in active freeway lanes while traffic is still moving at high speed.

Why Secondary Crashes Are So Dangerous

When a vehicle becomes disabled in a live traffic lane — especially at night, on a high-speed freeway, with limited visibility — the people inside that vehicle are in danger almost immediately. Approaching drivers may have only seconds to perceive stopped traffic, recognize that people are outside their cars, and safely slow or change lanes.

That short reaction window can disappear completely when a driver is distracted, fatigued, impaired, following too closely, or traveling too fast for conditions. Even when the speed limit is 65 miles per hour, California law still requires drivers to operate at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for actual conditions, including darkness, traffic ahead, and visible roadway hazards.

What Investigators Look For After a Freeway Chain-Reaction Crash

A serious multi-vehicle freeway crash requires more than a basic police report. Important evidence can include dashcam footage, nearby surveillance video, 911 call timing, vehicle event data, cell phone records, skid marks, debris fields, roadway lighting, and witness statements. The sequence of impacts matters because each driver’s conduct must be evaluated separately.

In a case like the reported Encino crash, investigators would want to know why the first vehicle became disabled, whether the second driver had enough time to avoid the stopped car, whether the third driver was speeding or distracted, and whether anyone had a reasonable opportunity to move to safety before the later impact.

Who May Be Responsible

In a multi-vehicle chain reaction, responsibility is rarely limited to one person. California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, which means fault can be divided among multiple drivers and an injured person or surviving family may still recover even if more than one party contributed to the crash.

Potentially responsible parties may include:

• The driver who caused the original collision or disabled vehicle hazard.
• A following driver who failed to slow, stop, or maintain a proper lookout.
• A later driver who struck the wreckage or people standing near the vehicles.
• A commercial employer, if an involved driver was working at the time.
• A government entity, in limited cases, if roadway design, lighting, signage, or maintenance contributed to the danger.

Identifying every responsible party is critical because catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims often exceed the insurance limits of a single driver. Families may need to pursue multiple policies, employer coverage, umbrella coverage, or other legally available sources of recovery.

What To Do If Your Vehicle Is Disabled on a California Freeway

If a vehicle can still move, the safest option is usually to get out of the traffic lanes and onto the right shoulder or an off-ramp. If the vehicle cannot move, occupants should call 911 immediately, turn on hazard lights, keep seatbelts fastened, and wait for officers or emergency responders to secure the scene when it is safer to do so.

Every crash is different, and there may be circumstances where remaining inside a vehicle is dangerous. But as a general rule, standing outside a vehicle in a live freeway lane is one of the most dangerous positions a person can be in after an accident.

Wrongful Death Claims After a Fatal Freeway Crash

When a loved one is killed in a freeway chain-reaction crash, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim under California law. Recoverable damages can include funeral and burial expenses, the financial support the person would have provided, and the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and moral support.

There is generally a two-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims in California, but waiting can make a case harder to prove. Video may be overwritten, vehicles may be repaired or destroyed, roadway evidence may disappear, and witnesses may become harder to locate. Early investigation often makes the difference between guessing what happened and proving it.

How Kocaj Law Can Help

A fatal or catastrophic freeway crash is not just an insurance claim. It is an evidence case. It requires fast action, careful reconstruction, and a clear understanding of how California negligence law applies when several drivers may share fault.

If you or someone you love was injured in a freeway crash, or if your family lost someone in a chain-reaction collision, Kocaj Law can help you understand your rights and next steps. We can review the facts, preserve evidence, communicate with insurance companies, and pursue every available source of recovery.

You do not pay a fee unless we recover for you. Call Kocaj Law or contact our firm through this website for a free, confidential consultation.