Losing a child to a tragic accident is a parent's worst nightmare. Unfortunately for one couple, this became their reality last May, and now they're suing the city of San Diego. Tanya and Antonee Harris recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and others after their 13-year-old son was struck and killed by a car earlier this year. According to the lawsuit, the accident happened because the city “failed to install proper crosswalks and speed bumps after being warned that the area was unsafe.”

City of San Diego; image courtesy of MARELBU via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org

The suit was filed in San Diego Superior Court and names the city, the driver of the vehicle that hit the couple's son, Trevon, and the “owner of a dog that allegedly chased the boy into the street.” The incident itself happened on the evening of May 3, 2019. Trevon's mother was close by when the accident happened and rushed to his side after the collision. According to the lawsuit, the collision may never have occurred if the city would have taken steps to make the area safer. For example, the suit alleges the city “did not install speedbumps and other measures to slow traffic along San Miguel Avenue, a main artery through the city,” even after receiving numerous complaints from area residents. The suit states:“Lemon Grove did nothing to protect the welfare of school-aged children, including Trevon. Had Lemon Grove taken reasonable steps to control traffic speed and provide proper signage and crosswalks for pedestrian use, the incident would not have occurred.”Shortly after the collision, an investigation was conducted that determined the driver was not at fault. When commenting on the matter, sheriff’s spokeswoman Melissa Aquino issued the following statement:“The Traffic Investigator has found there is no fault on the part of the driver. After speaking to witnesses and reviewing the car’s ‘black box’ or event data recorder (EDR) information it was determined the actions of the driver were non-criminal. The pedestrian darted into the path of the oncoming traffic.”Why did Trevon dart into oncoming traffic, though? According to the lawsuit, Trevon was allegedly chased into oncoming traffic by a dog that had escaped its home. That's why the lawsuit names the dog's owner and owner of the property where the dog escaped from as defendants.As a result of the incident, Trevon's family is seeking unspecified damages to help cover the funeral, burial, and legal expenses. Additionally, the family is seeking damages to cover the costs that have piled up from grief counseling and psychological treatment.

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Parents of boy killed on Lemon Grove street file wrongful death lawsuit against the cityMother of boy hit and killed by car in Lemon Grove files claim against city