SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego is requesting that a federal judge dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of Monica Cameroni de Adams, whose body was discovered in her minivan a month after a drunk driving incident.
Cameroni de Adams, 65, was found deceased in a tow yard after a drunk driver crashed into her van while she was asleep inside on November 2023. Despite the collision, responding officers failed to locate her body at the scene, leading to a bizarre timeline that ended with her remains being discovered due to a foul odor emanating from her vehicle.
The legal filing made on June 12 by city attorneys asserts that the police officers involved did not bear responsibility for Cameroni de Adams’ injuries nor did they have any obligation to provide care. Consequently, they argue that the lawsuit from her daughter and son should be dismissed.
In their argument, the city’s attorneys also claimed that the family did not file their claim within the required timeframe, among other legal technicalities.
Details surrounding the crash reveal that Cameroni de Adams had parked her white Honda minivan on the 4200 block of Clairemont Mesa Drive when Jordan Lopez struck the rear of her vehicle while massively intoxicated.
According to a police report, Lopez, who had just come from a bar, displayed signs of intoxication and admitted to consuming four beers before the incident. He was arrested after registering a blood alcohol level of .26, over three times the legal limit for driving.
Significantly, officers at the scene were unaware that Cameroni de Adams was severely injured in the wreck. Officer Matthew Brace noted in his collision investigation that efforts to contact the registered owners of the vehicles involved were unsuccessful. The decision was made to have the wrecked vehicles towed to prevent theft or vandalism.
Cameroni de Adams’ body was ultimately discovered on December 6, 2023, when employees at Allied Gardens Tow Company were investigating the source of a foul smell.
Her remains were found heavily decomposed, partially buried beneath personal items in the back seat of her Honda Odyssey. The condition of her body was so severe that the Medical Examiner’s report indicated her skeleton was visible and her face unrecognizable.
The autopsy confirmed that Cameroni de Adams died from blunt force trauma, categorizing her death as accidental. Shockingly, her children, Natalia Cameroni-Adams and her brother, did not receive the Medical Examiner’s report until October 16, 2024, nearly a full year after her fatal incident.
In April of this year, the family took legal action by suing the city of San Diego, the police department, and individual officers for negligence and violation of their mother’s civil rights. However, the city has been proactive in seeking to dismiss this lawsuit.
The city’s legal counsel argues that the police officers’ actions regarding the incident should not render them liable for the tragic outcome.
While the family continues to seek justice for their mother, the city is moving forward with its legal strategies aimed at dismissing the case.
As this situation unfolds, it raises broader questions about the responsibilities of law enforcement and the duty of care owed to individuals at the scene of accidents.
Thus far, the family’s pursuit of answers has been overshadowed by legal complexities, leaving them in a prolonged state of grief and uncertainty over their mother’s death.
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