Ajesh Singh Saini Killed in Saratoga Car Accident
The 2024 BMW went down a steep embankment west of Redwood Gulch Road
California roads see roughly 10 fatalities daily, a grim statistic that now includes a 27-year-old Oregon man.
Ajesh Singh Saini, of Salem, was killed in a single-vehicle car crash on Highway 9 near Redwood Gulch Road in Saratoga on June 22, according to the California Highway Patrol. A 2024 BMW was heading east at approximately 9:36 p.m. when the 21-year-old driver lost control. The vehicle left the pavement and plunged down a steep embankment.
Saini was riding as a passenger in the BMW. The vehicle's driver and a 17-year-old passenger were also killed at the scene, authorities said.
The crash remains under active investigation by troopers, who closed the road for several hours to recover the wreckage.
No official cause has been determined.
Why do vehicles leave the road on Highway 9?
When a vehicle departs the travel lanes and travels down an embankment, crash reconstructionists look closely at environmental factors, vehicle speed, and driver inputs. Highway 9 features winding stretches and steep drop-offs that require precise handling.
Investigators will examine the 2024 BMW's event data recorder to determine the exact speed, braking application, and steering angle in the seconds before the vehicle left the pavement.
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, said, "Speed changes everything in a single vehicle crash, turning what could have easily been a minor slide off the road into a catastrophic impact for everyone riding along inside. Passengers rarely have any warning or chance to brace."
"An attorney reviewing a fatal case like this typically starts with event data recorder information to understand exactly how fast things happened," added Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News.
How common are fatal roadway departures?
An estimated 2,824 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the Golden State in the first nine months of 2024, according to new preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This figure is down from more than 3,000 in the same timeframe in 2023.
Evaluating the driver's actions, potential mechanical failures, and the road's design are critical steps in understanding why a vehicle failed to handle a curve.
California wrongful death statute
Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 377.60, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. California applies pure comparative fault. The statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of death.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and the decedent's pre-death pain and suffering.
"Pursuing a wrongful death claim within strict legal deadlines protects the rights of surviving relatives long before a courtroom becomes involved, and legal counsel moves to preserve evidence, secure witness statements, and prevent critical details from disappearing as time passes," noted Stefano Formica, a national legal analyst for Accident News and of counsel at Bond Legal.