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| Image gives credit to KABC. |
According to reports, the limousine was bounded for Sonoma from Walnut Creek in Northern California to transport a group of elderly women to celebrate a friend’s 96th birthday when the incident occurred.
Survivors of the incident claimed the passengers smelled and saw smoke inside the limousine and were able to inform the driver before the vehicle eventually burst into flames seconds later.
One of the occupants of the limo, Mary Chapman, has told the media that when she looked out, there were already red flames and black smoke all over the place.
Among the elderly women, only Chapman and two others were able to walk on their own feet while the others are dependent on walkers and canes. Therefore, they helped the other women to escape from the burning vehicle.
Subsequently, fire crews were dispatched and quickly manipulate the flames. However, the limo was already charred before rescuers were able to totally extinguish the flames.
Following the fiery crash, the limousine’s owner and operator of Town Car SF, Claudius Oliveira, blamed the limo’s electrical system for the incident. He claimed that the said manufacturer’s defect likely contributed to the fire.
Also, Oliveira claimed that the limo has been inspected and maintained. In fact, it is a new car, keeping great records.
So far, the authorities are currently investigating the matter.
Last May 24, a similar incident also took place along San Mateo Bridge. The limo was carrying a group of nurses who were out to celebrate a recent wedding when it burst into fire. Five women including the newly wed succumb from the incident. Since then, the authorities started conducting an investigation, which a Los Angeles personal injury attorney monitored until the investigators were able to release their final conclusion.
