Blog Post

Young Girl Killed in San Jose Bicycle Accident


June 13, 2008
Topic: Bicycle Accidents

It will be an unbearable summer in the home of Breanna Slaughter-Eck. The 12-year-old girl was killed in a bicycle accident on her way home from school.

It was the last day of school, and Breanna was returning home on her gray and black bicycle. As she crossed Selborn Place at Park Avenue, a 1987 Ford Bronco, driven by Adriana Fierro De Marin, came down the road and slammed into the bicycle. The bicycle, with Breanna on it, was dragged a distance away with the car. When the car finally came to a stop, Breanna's cycle was mangled and flattened. The girl died later at Valley Medical Center.

De Marin was on her way to her daughter's school to pick her up. A number of witnesses saw the accident, including De Marin's daughter and a number of Breanna's classmates. Class had just ended for the summer, and it's going to be a long vacation for many children at Hoover Middle School, Breanna's school.

Police say that they have no indication that drugs or alcohol played a part in the bicycle accident. They have not yet decided if they are going to charge De Marin. All investigation reports will be turned over to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to determine whether charges or citations will be filed.

Even with all the awareness that is created about the rights of bicyclists on the street, we don't really see any marked decrease in the number of bicycle accidents that take place on our roads. Reports have shown that one of the most common types of bicycle accidents occurs when a bicyclist drives straight ahead and encounters a car turning at the intersection. With green consciousness gaining momentum, more people chose to leave a lighter carbon footprint by biking to homes, offices and schools, and this creates a potentially dangerous situation on our roads where SUV and other vehicles are dominant.

Studies have shown that motorists on the road tend to view bicyclists as outsiders, thereby leading to a lack of respect for bicyclist rights. The establishment of bike lanes for cyclists also hasn't been all that effective in limiting the number of accidents, because it creates a false sense of security in a bicyclist about the dangers on the road. Motorists too are likely to ignore the cyclists' safety because they are "safely" riding in a bicycle zone.

The results of a bicycle-car accident are rarely good. Injuries are almost always severe and fatalities are common. The bicyclist is the one who bears the brunt of the force of the accident.

When it comes to children, safety is especially paramount. Breanna's death should bring into focus greater attention on bicycle safety issues in the city.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.