Three members of a Fullerton family — Maynardo Orosa Romey, 59; Lucilla Abdon Romey, 60, and their 17-year-old son, Patrick Maynard Romey — died in a Los Angeles car accident the morning of May 9, 2009. According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, the Romeys were traveling eastbound on the 60 Freeway in a Honda Civic when the driver, Maynardo Romey, lost control of the Civic for unknown reasons and veered into the number two lane into the path of a Cadillac STS. The Cadillac then struck the Honda with great force, California Highway Patrol officials said.
The Honda Civic had major T-bone damage on the passenger side. All three family members were pronounced dead following the Hacienda Heights car accident. The driver of the Cadillac was reportedly hospitalized with moderate personal injuries. No arrests have been made in connection with the Los Angeles car accident.
I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the Romeys for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this family. I can only imagine the grief and pain they must be going through. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to a 2007 California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 712 fatalities and 56,475 injuries involving car accidents in Los Angeles County.
In this particular case, based on the newspaper report, it is not clear what caused Maynardo Romey to lose control of the Honda Civic. I trust CHP investigators are looking into all aspects of this fatal Los Angeles car crash including whether the car crash was a result of a mechanical malfunction or a product defect in the Honda. The members of the Romey family would be well advised to contact reputed Los Angeles car accident attorneys, who are also skilled and experienced in handling car product defect cases.
The family should preserve the Honda in its current, crashed state — unaltered — so it can be examined for mechanical malfunction, car product defects and other evidence. If there is evidence of a product defect then the auto maker could be held liable for the car accident and fatal personal injuries. In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased car accident victims are able to file wrongful death claims, which essentially compensate them for various associated costs including medical/funeral expenses and loss of earnings.