A stretch of Highway 18 near Baldwin Lake has reopened after being closed for more than six hours due to a collision earlier today between a big rig trailer and an SUV that killed a Big Bear City woman and injured her 16-year-old passenger.

The 37-year-old woman, Lili De Coronado, was at the wheel of a 2006 Kia Sorrento traveling east on Highway 18 just east of Paradise Way about 11 a.m., said Officer Benjamin Baker, spokesman for the Arrowhead area office of the Highway Patrol, in a news release.

At the same time, Fred Riley, 51, of Menifee, was traveling west on 18 in a Peterbilt dump truck pulling a dump trailer, Baker said. As he entered a leftward curve in the road, Riley’s truck ran up on the right shoulder of the roadway, the trailer colliding with the mountainside.

The collision separated the gravel box from the trailer’s frame, the box coming to rest in the opposing lane, Baker said. The trailer frame bounced into the opposing lane and slammed into the Kia.

The Kia’s driver was taken to Bear Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Baker said. The 16-year-old girl was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center with unspecified injuries. Her condition was not being made public.

The collision closed the highway between Paradise Way and Baldwin Lake Road for most of the day, while investigators tried to piece together what happened and crews worked to remove about 12 tons of cinders dumped on the road when the trailer was wrecked. It reopened about 5:45 p.m.

CHP continues to investigate the accident.

Big -Rig Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability

The laws regarding wrongful death/”trucking accident” cases are complex and include many facets of the law.  It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death/”trucking accident” lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your legal rights and those of your loved ones.

California trucking accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with extreme grief and sorrow associated with the loss of a loved one.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its “trucking accident” cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention neccessary to obtain a successful result for your “trucking accident” case.

The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and expert witnesses to prepare for trial of your case.  As in all wrongful death and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf.  Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery.  If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm.

If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained fatal injuries involving a tractor-trailer rig you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your rights and preserve the evidence.  The laws and time limitations can be complex so protect your legal rights by contacting the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today.