San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Blog

SAN DIEGO - A 77-year-old San Diego County man tragically died after his vehicle collided with a SUV driven by a 15-year-old boy early Thursday morning in Mission Bay, 10 News reported. According to the San Diego Union Tribune and San Diego County Medical Examiner reports, the boy, driving his parents' Toyota 4Runner without their permission, backed into a 1979 Mercury LTD driven by James Cummins, 77 of Point Loma.

Prior to the accident, shortly after midnight, the teen boy was headed westbound on Sea World Drive when he missed his exit to Ingraham Street. He threw the car into reverse and started backing up with he collided with Cummins' Mercury.

Cummins was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he died at about 4:45 a.m. The teen boy, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, reportedly ran away from the scene in hid in the bushes, but police located him nearby. His parents were contacted and came to the crash scene. 10 News reported that the Toyota SUV involved in the collision was registered to Elvira and Octavio Acevedo

Cause of the July 7th Mission Bay Crash

Based on the information provided in news accounts, it appears that the teenager caused this accident by driving the wrong-way (in reverse) on Sea World Drive. 10 News reported that alcohol was found on the vehicle, but investigators did not believe the teen had been drinking. The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the San Diego Police Department traffic division.

San Diego Car Accident Wrongful Death Liability

If the police investigation confirms news accounts that the 15-year-old driver of the Toyota caused this accident, the parents of the underage and unlicensed driver may be liable for the wrongful death of the driver of the Mercury. Following an accident such as this one, the family members of the deceased victim may benefit from speaking to an experienced San Diego wrongful death attorney. A skilled lawyer can advise the victims' family of their legal rights to hold the driver's family accountable for the loss of their loved one, and recover damages in a wrongful death claim.