October 21, 2015 | By Greene Broillet & Wheeler
A teenage couple died in a tragic car accident last Sunday. The couple was remembered in a special memorial service on Monday evening.
The couple, two 18-year-olds, were killed when their 2015 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was hit by a 2013 Lexus ES 350 sedan at approximately 6:55 p.m. on Sunday evening, not far from the South Seventh Avenue off-ramp of 60 Freeway in Hacienda Heights, California.
According to police, a 68-year-old man was driving the Lexus at a high rate of speed. The Lexus driver drove through the stop sign that was at the end of the ramp and subsequently failed to negotiate a right turn. He lost control of his vehicle, collided with a concrete median, went airborne and struck the Tacoma that contained the teenagers. The force of the collision sheared the top off the truck.
The Lexus finally came to a rest roof-side down in a Denny’s parking lot after rotating and toppling end over end. Miraculously, the driver of the Lexus and his 62-year-old female passenger survived. However, they had major injuries and were rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment.
Both 18-year-olds were found dead at the crash site. They were boyfriend and girlfriend. Friends and family said kind words about the couple during the memorial service, describing them as “two peas in a pod.”
Family members of individuals killed in California car crashes due to no fault of their own may wish to seek wrongful death claims in court. Every case is different, but if the factual scenario supports such a wrongful death suit, relatives may be able to seek financial restitution for loss of companionship, lost family income, the cost of end of life expenses and other damages.