San Francisco Taxi Crash: Fiery wreck kills vacationing couple; 3 injured

2010-06-17 04:35:41 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Illinois News, Justice News Flash, Personal Injury, Regional)

06/15/2010 // WPB, FL, USA // Nicole Howley // Nicole Howley

San Francisco, CA—An Ohio couple who just arrived in San Francisco on vacation were tragically killed when the taxi they were riding in crashed and caught fire on the Interstate Highway 280 off-ramp. The fatal crash occurred at 10:57 a.m., on Monday, June 14, 2010 at the Mariposa Street off-ramp from northbound I-280 in the city’s Potrero Hill neighborhood, as reported by CBS5.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said the couple was on their way from the San Francisco International Airport to the Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel, when the taxi’s brakes failed.

The cab was exiting the highway at around 40 mph, when he hit the brakes and they did not engage. The driver then tried to apply the emergency parking brake, which failed as well. The cab then slammed into a highway support beam, where the taxi caught fire and then hit a steel mesh fence.

The cab driver was able to get out of the wreck car himself, but two responding deputies had to pull the couple from the burning vehicle.

The couple was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital where the woman was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. The man died at 4:20 p.m. The taxi driver was seriously injured, but he was released from the hospital by Monday afternoon.

The two deputies who pulled the couple from the burning wreckage were treated for smoke inhalation at St. Francis Memorial Hospital.

The cab reportedly belonged to the Desoto Cab Co.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for California automobile accident attorneys.

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