18-Year-Old Man Dies in Ventura Accident, Jesus Calles Arrested

A wrong-way collision claimed the life of 18-year-old Juan Morales on Saturday morning in Ventura. 

The incident took place on Highway 101 on December 18th around 3:00 a.m. 

Per reports, Morales was heading northbound in a Nissan 350z when a southbound Honda Accord hit him head-on. 

In addition, a GMC Sierra pickup truck that was traveling northbound also hit the Nissan.

Sadly, Juan Morales was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, Daniel Morales, was transported to Los Robles Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries. 

Rodolfo Auregui, the driver of the pickup, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment. 

The passenger in the pickup truck, Jonathan Ramirez, sustained moderate injuries and was also taken to Los Robles.

Jesus Calles, the driver of the Accord, suffered major injuries and was rushed to Ventura County Medical Center. It was discovered that he was driving under the influence and was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter. 

The crash remains under investigation.

JT Legal Group sends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Juan Morales. 

Although crashes involving wrong-way driving account for only 3% of motor vehicle accidents, they usually have a higher fatality rate as they are often head-on collisions. A study in Virginia concluded that those accidents which include wrong-way driving are twenty-seven times more likely to end in a fatality compared to other types of accidents.

If your injuries are caused by the negligence of a third party you may be entitled to compensation. In the event of a death, families may also be entitled to wrongful death benefits. 

Contact JT Legal Group at (888) 529-3111 if you need legal assistance following an accident.