You may recall a terrible fatal accident on October 11th, 2022, involving a group of students from Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College and an ambulance. Two died and others received severe injuries, 21 year old Jorge Vargas who died at the scene, and 17 year old Jaheem Williams who passed away from his injuries 2 months after.
The students were traveling in a Busito Van near Rancho village when it collided into a heavy duty Toyota Land Cruiser ambulance.
But who really was to blame? Was it the driver of the busito? Or the driver of the ambulance? Or the driver of a Bowen and Bowen truck that was also involved?
Well, in a civil case brought by the families of the deceased and the injured persons, Justice Nabi of the High court has found that all three drivers played some part in contributing to the accident.
She found, critically, that the ambulance's emergency lights and sirens were not on at the time of the accident - so they had to observe the rules of the road just like the other drivers.
She found, quote, "that the greater measure of responsibility rests with the ambulance driver and the state who were the proximate and dominant cause of the collision," end quote.
The state will now have to compensate the families accordingly - and observers have noted that it is surprising they even contested the case in court.
Adler Waight and Payal Ghanwani represented the deceased and the injured.
