The Hollywood Casino recently opened in Jamul, California. The local community fought long and hard for years to stop this Casino from disrupting this small town and bringing increased traffic to an already dangerous roadway – Highway 94.
According to the San Diego Union Tribune: “Driving rural State Route 94 can be deadly.” Partner, Michelle Schill at Martinez & Schill can verify the same, after growing up in Jamul and knowing multiple people injured or killed on this dangerous roadway. According to the California Highway Patrol, there have been 1,150 collisions on Highway 94 from Rancho San Diego to Jamul since 2005 with hundreds of people being injured and twenty-two people killed.
Additionally, to make matters worse, Caltrans allowed the Hollywood Casino to open without completing traffic improvements such as turning lanes, retaining walls and traffic signalization at the intersection.
Diane Jacobs, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, stated: Highway 94 has seen 100 DUI-related collisions in the past decade. Jacobs went on to call Route 94 a “death trap.” Prior to the opening of the casino an estimated 17,000 vehicles daily make the commute on the highway starting near Steele Canyon Road and ending at the Mexican border. However, with the opening of Hollywood Casino, Jacob estimated at least 9,000 more trips are projected to be taken on the roadway.
Given the above the number of car accidents on Highway 94 is likely to increase. As locals know the roadway is dangerous, but many first-time travelers are may be coming from the new casino after consuming alcoholic beverages and then driving on a high speed winding roadway, which creates a significant concern for safety. Less than one year ago, a motorist died on state route 94, when a driver who was suspected of DUI took a curve in the road too fast on state Route 94 in Jamul causing her vehicle to run off the road and overturn. There is a real concern that more accidents like this will occur.
Since the opening of the casino six months ago, there have been multiple occasions in which highway 94 has been at a standstill due to traffic. Thus, far we have not seen any accidents but we fear it is only a matter of time.
If you are involved in an accident on Highway 94 and need legal representation please contact Martinez & Schill LLP at 619-512-5995.