The California Highway Patrol is continuing investigations into the fatal accident last week, involving a truck that drove the wrong way, killing a Goleta resident.

According to news reports, a white Verizon Communications truck entered highway 101 from the northbound end of the ramp and drove in the southbound direction. The resulting accident involved at least 7 vehicles, all which were damaged. Ultimately, the truck crashed into a mini van. The driver of the van Jose Raul Reyes Vega of Goleta was killed in the accident. None of the occupants of the vehicles that were damaged, suffered any injuries.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the investigation may take a few weeks because of the severity of the accident. The CHP will consider the causes of the accident, and recommend charges to the district attorney's office. The driver of the truck, Mark Selander, has not been charged or arrested. CHP officials say that he does not remember the accident. There is speculation that Selander, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, may have suffered a medical condition at the time of the crash.

It's too early to say why Selander ended up driving the wrong way as he did. However, as Los Angeles personal injury lawyers see, wrong way driving is an important, if less frequent, factor in traffic accidents in California. Nationwide, 300 lives are lost every year in accidents caused by wrong way driving.

A motorist could end up going the wrong way for a number of reasons.

* A motorist who is driving intoxicated is more likely to make driving errors, and this includes driving in the opposite direction.
* Many times, wrong way driving may occur because of errors made during driving. A motorist, who is driving at night in a new part of town, is more likely to end up going in the wrong direction.
* Besides, drivers who suffer from a medical condition behind the wheel may feel disoriented, and end up driving in the opposite direction. For instance, a driver who suffers from a cardiac arrest or goes into diabetic coma or suffers a seizure behind the wheel, may make deadly driving errors that can have fatal consequences.

Whatever the cause, wrong way accidents often have devastating consequences. These accidents may not occur as frequently, but when they do occur, there are often fatalities, or serious injuries. That's because of the massive impact of these accidents. Often, persons who are driving towards the wrong way driver may not notice the other car in time to avoid an accident. There may be very little time to avoid impact, and the consequences of a full-on collision can be very serious.

Some medical conditions may lead to disorientation, drowsiness, dizziness, and loss of concentration behind the wheel with serious risk of an accident. Motorists who suffer from a medical condition that could impact their driving are required to self police themselves, so that they don't place their lives and others' in danger. They must make sure that they are not driving alone, and that they take their medications regularly.