Nearly one year after a Cal Poly student was killed in a crash on Highway 101 in Arroyo Grande, his parents have filed a lawsuit against the state, county, and the other driver.
The complaint was filed by James and Rebecca Grant, parents of Jordan Grant, in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on Tuesday, September 24.
It names the State of California, County of San Luis Obispo, the City of Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments and Richard Donald Giuli, the other driver involved in the crash.
Jordan Grant, 18, died October 7, 2018 while driving his motorcycle near the intersection of El Campo Road and Highway 101.
The lawsuit states Grant, a Cal Poly freshman, was traveling southbound on the highway when Giuli made a left turn from El Campo Road onto Highway 101, directly in front of Grant. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit claims the road lacked proper safety measures, including proper signage to reduce speed or otherwise warn drivers of the intersection.
The Grants claim this created dangerous conditions and a foreseeable risk of injury to drivers of the roadway. The lawsuit states these conditions were allowed to exist unremedied in a location that has a history of crashes.
The lawsuit goes on to say, "The dangerous conditions and these acts and omissions of Defendants proximately caused decedents' deaths and Plaintiffs' injuries."
According to the lawsuit, due to the defendants' failure to acknowledge these dangerous conditions, they are liable for the death of Grant, and his parents are entitled to recover from them their loss resulting from the loss of a loved one.
The lawsuit states that the total amount of damages is unknown at this time.
Giuli was arraigned in April on a charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Guili did not physically appear in court but his attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office says Giuli faces a maximum of one year in county jail.
As of May 13, nearly six months after the fatal crash, a $250,000 projectbegan no longer allowing drivers to turn left from northbound 101 or from El Campo Road. It's one of four cross intersections along the highway that are set to be eliminated after years of safety concerns.
KSBY reached out to Caltrans and they declined to comment on the lawsuit at this time.
