Recent Rise in Road Deaths Concerns Authorities

Ruth Wibbels didn’t drive. Though energetic and in good health, she just never learned how, said her daughter, Gayle Whitaker.

So it seemed a perfect arrangement to have the 79-year old grandmother, who had recently moved to Simi Valley to be near family, be driven on her errands by her daughter and granddaughter, said Whitaker.

Tragedy struck Thursday night when Wibbels was killed while riding in the car driven by her 16-year-old granddaughter, who had recently gotten her learner’s permit.

Wibbels was one of two people killed in traffic accidents on Ventura County roadways in the past three days, authorities said, adding that the fatalities illustrate a recent and unfortunate trend.

So far in 1999, 27 people have died in freeway crashes, with 12 of those deaths coming in the last several weeks, CHP authorities said.

“I wish we could say why this is happening right now,” said CHP Capt. Rich Owen. “But we don’t know. We track all accidents and try to find a common thread, see if there is a problem that needs to be addressed. But we haven’t found any. The accidents are all over the county, all at different times, and all have different causes.”

Until the past few weeks, the number of people killed in traffic accidents on the freeway was down 17.4% compared with last year, Owen said. And although the CHP has not yet included the fatalities for October, Owen expects that the number may now meet or surpass last year’s count.

Wibbels died when the car her granddaughter was driving turned into the path of a Cadillac at Madera Road and Country Club Drive in Simi Valley. The teenage driver, and her mother, Gayle Whitaker, also a passenger, suffered minor injuries.

During an interview at their Simi Valley home Friday, the young driver, and her mother were still grappling with the death of Wibbels, who had moved from Burbank to a senior citizens’ development in Wood Ranch.

“Whenever mom’s in the car, I drive grandma everywhere,” the girl, who asked not to be named, said Friday afternoon.

Heading down a stretch of Madera Road that is dark at night and reduced by construction to one lane in each direction, the girl began a left turn onto Country Club Drive. She thought the road was clear in the opposite direction. When she realized the Cadillac was coming toward her, she said, she stepped hard on the gas, but wasn’t fast enough.

The Cadillac struck the right rear door of the Whitakers’ Nissan.

“It’s one of those things that happened so fast,” said Gayle Whitaker, 48, holding her hand over her daughter’s to comfort her.

“The cars are going faster than you think, and they’re not as far away as you think they are.”

The Cadillac driver, Frances Sinder, 57, of Simi Valley, was treated for minor injuries at Simi Valley Hospital before being released Thursday.

Funeral arrangements for Wibbels are being handled by Reardon Simi Valley Mortuary.

In another accident early Friday morning, Jessie Cedillos was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van at a busy intersection on Rose Avenue in Oxnard. Cedillos, 26, of Oxnard, died from head injuries and his passenger, Emilio Alamillo, 24, of Oxnard, was in serious but stable condition with a head injury and a fractured arm at Ventura County Medical Center.

Funeral arrangements were not available for Cedillos on Friday.

Oxnard police officers said they are still investigating the accident to determine if the driver of the van, Santiago Garcia Duarte, 56, of Oxnard, was at fault and should be charged with a crime.

“But it’s too early to determine right now who was at fault,” said Oxnard Sgt. Robert Cox.

Cedillos and his passenger were wearing helmets, police said. But the small, inexpensive helmets, known as turtle-shell helmets, were not sturdy enough to provide any significant protection, Cox said.

Turtle shells do meet federal guidelines for motorcycle helmets, he said. But Cox added that the accident is the second one this month in which a motorcyclist using a turtle shell for protection suffered severe head trauma.

Timothy Mcelyea, 41, of Santa Paula, is still in critical condition with a brain hemorrhage after his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a street sweeper on Auto Center Drive in Oxnard, police said.

“People don’t want to wear a helmet,” Cox said. “So they get some little helmet to pass the helmet law, but they’re not really thinking safety. Just go get a proper helmet. The guy last week is in a coma now, and one guy today didn’t make it at all. Is it really worth saving some money on a cheaper helmet? Go spend the extra $100 and save your life.”