LOS ANGELES, CA—Attorneys Bradley Wallace and Jessica Grau of The Wallace Firm, a plaintiff trial law firm, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Long Beach, Shelby’s Car Stereo and Alarms and Caruso Ford Lincoln dealership on behalf of the parents of Alejandro Vasquez, who died in a preventable motorcycle versus automobile collision in October 2021.
The lawsuit alleges that the businesses’ negligently parked box truck completely obstructed Vasquez’s view of the approaching stop sign at a Long Beach intersection, causing him to proceed on a green light where he collided with an oncoming car making a left turn. The City was also negligent in allowing dangerous driving conditions near the intersection due to inadequate and improper signage, warnings or other devices.
“In the same area where Alejandro was tragically killed, there have been over 80 prior accidents, of which at least 40 have involved broadside-type collisions resulting in one fatality and numerous other injuries since 2011. It’s clear that in addition to the defendant’s negligently parked truck blocking views of the stop sign that day, this was a known hazardous intersection, and the City of Long Beach failed to protect drivers from these unsafe conditions,” commented Wallace. “While Alejandro’s parents can never get their son back, we want to hold the defendants responsible for their negligence and force the City to finally take action and create a safer roadway for drivers.”
The Vasquez family and attorneys are demanding a trial by jury.
Background
On October 24, 2021, Alejandro Vasquez was driving a motorcycle southbound on the Cherry Avenue service road where it intersects with E. Bixby Road in Long Beach, California. Brian Burke was operating a 2021 Nissan Rogue traveling northbound on Cherry Avenue, attempting to make a left onto westbound E. Bixby Road just prior to the collision with Vasquez’s motorcycle.
A large white Ford box truck was illegally parked on the Cherry Avenue service road blocking the driveway of Shelby’s Car Stereo and Alarms. The unregistered truck was owned by Caruso Ford Lincoln, who had contracted with Shelby’s Car Stereo and Alarms to install dash cameras. The lawsuit asserts the location of the box truck blocked the view of the posted stop sign for southbound traffic on the Cherry Avenue service road and caused Vasquez to crash into Burke.
Further, the service road lacked adequate and properly placed signage, warnings and other devices to safely and properly control traffic. The placement of the southbound traffic control signals for the Cherry Avenue and E. Bixby Road intersection creates a trap and dangerous situation because motorists traveling southbound on the Cherry Avenue service street, despite there being a stop sign in place to control the southbound service road traffic, are improperly made to believe that a green traffic control signal permits them to enter the intersection with all other southbound Cherry Avenue traffic. The City of Long Beach was aware of the hazardous conditions at the intersection but did nothing to remedy these issues or warn drivers of what to expect.
