SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego is paying $2.95 million to the family of a cyclist who died after crashing into a city stormwater truck that was parked in the bike lane.
Hossein Samadi died on September 25, 2020, while riding his bicycle on Carmel Valley Road near the intersection with Black Mountain Road.
According to a 2021 lawsuit filed by Samadi's wife and two children, Samadi was riding at a high speed in the bike lane when he encountered a city truck that was parked on the side of the road, inside the dedicated bike lane.
Samadi, according to the lawsuit, did not have time to react and collided with the stormwater truck. He died at the scene.
City workers, according to the family's lawsuit, did not have cones nor were the flashing lights on meant to alert drivers and cyclists of the hazard.
In a February 21 report, the city acknowledged that city crews working on the storm drains that day failed to abide by traffic guidelines:
"A three-man crew from the Stormwater Department was cleaning storm drain filters along the road. The employees parked in the marked bicycle lane for approximately 45 minutes to perform this work before the incident occurred. An employee picked up all traffic cones in the minutes prior to the incident occurring, believing the crew was about to leave.
On Tuesday, February 27, nearly four years since Samadi's death and almost three years after the family filed their lawsuit, San Diego city council members will sign off on the $2.95 million payout.