Structure involved in 2011 fatal crash on San Timoteo Canyon Road removed

Nov. 26--REDLANDS -- The roadside structure involved in a 2011 fatal crash on San Timoteo Canyon Road has been removed.

On Sept. 2, 2011, Sandra Alechman, 66, of Menifee was driving westbound on San Timoteo Canyon Road when she struck the concrete structure, known as a weir, on the shoulder, causing the vehicle to go out of control and roll over. She was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where she died.

Alechman's husband, Sheldon, sued the city and was awarded $1.38 million in damages in October.

City staff contacted the owner of the property where the weir was and made him aware that it needed to be removed, said Carl Baker, city spokesman, in an email.

"The property owner removed it at his own expense and staff confirmed the removal on Nov. 16," he said.

"I wanted people to be aware of the danger and for steps to be taken so that this doesn't happen to anyone else," said Sheldon Alechman, in a news release sent from the office of his attorney, William Shapiro of Robinson Calcagnie Robinson Shapiro Davis Inc., which has offices in San Bernardino and Newport Beach.

After a three-day deliberation, the jury on Oct. 22 awarded $2.1 million in damages, $1.3 million to Sheldon Alechman because the jury found Sandra Alechman to be 35 percent responsible.

The city denied responsibility and maintained that the structure was not on city-owned property.

Shapiro argued that the structure was within the city's right-of-way, which the city is responsible for maintaining.

The city's out-of-pocket expenses are expected to be less than $400,000 and the rest will be covered by the city's excess insurance carrier, according to Baker in October.

Shapiro said in the news release that he and his client are relieved the city did the right thing.

"This is a tragedy that never should have happened and I hope other cities see this as a wake-up call to be proactive and remove dangerous structures from their roads before more people are killed," he said in the release.

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