It’s been one year since a driver hit and killed two young children as they walked to school in Prince George’s County. The victims’ families have now filed lawsuits.
Sky Sosa was just 5 years old when he was killed near Riverdale Park Elementary last November. Shalom Mbah was 10.
Sosa’s family filed a lawsuit against the driver, car owner, county and board of education.
“He just lit up the room, you know? He was constantly laughing and playing and smiling and jumping. He was just full of life. He had so much energy,” Sky’s mother, Laura Palacios, told News4 last year.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. >Sign up here.
The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and owner of the van that hit her son; the Prince George's County Board of Education, over not having a crossing guard at the school; and the county, over how first responders handled the situation.
Sky’s mother says in the lawsuit her son had to wait a half-hour for an ambulance and alleges medics gave him “the bare minimum” of attention.
“We are looking to get some justice for the family and make sure no other children have to be put in that position again,” Sky’s family’s lawyer, Christian Hudson, said.
The van driver, Olga Lugo Jiminez, 51, was charged by county police with two counts of manslaughter.
Sky’s father previously told our news partners at Telemundo 44 the driver hit him first and allegedly sped up and hit the kids. According to the family’s lawsuit, the driver had been hired to transport kids to school. Hudson, the lawyer, said the van owner is responsible too.
“You need to have a heightened standard of care of who your drivers are,” he said.
The other child killed in a crash, Shalom, had moved to the U.S. from Cameroon four months before she died. She had dreams of becoming a doctor. Her family also filed suit for wrongful death.
News4 asked the Prince George's County fire department, police department and school system for comment but they all declined, citing the pending lawsuits. We also reached out to the county executive's office, as well as the attorney for the owner and driver of the van, but did not hear back.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
News4 obtained court records showing Prince George's County filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Mbah's family. A judge has yet to rule on the motion.
A memorial to the children could still be seen at the crash site.
