Family announces lawsuit in death of street vendor struck by stolen Amazon truck in South LA
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Grieving family members has announced a lawsuit in connection with the death of a 67-year-old street vendor who was fatally struck by a stolen Amazon truck in South Los Angeles last year.
The family of the victim, Jose Rangel, visited the crash site for the first time on Tuesday and held a news conference to discuss the lawsuit, which alleges negligence.
The incident occurred in March 2022. Dashcam video from the idling vehicle shows the suspect, a man, climbing into the driver's seat while the delivery person was dropping off a package.
After driving away, the suspect lost control of the truck and hit Rangel, who died instantly.
The victim's loved ones says he typically set up shop on the street to sell whatever items he could, in or der to make a living and support his family.
Sam Dordulian, an attorney representing the family, said the delivery driver was negligent in leaving the vehicle unlocked, running and unattended. Dordulian said the truck was "full of packages for people to come in and steal -- and that's exactly what happened."
According to Dordulian, Amazon claims the delivery person was working for an independent delivery company and therefore the online retail giant is not responsible.
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"This has been so difficult for our family," Rangel's daughter, Maria Guarjardo, said at Tuesday's news conference. "Our father was a wonderful man. he did not deserve to die this way.
"It's very difficult for my brother," Guajardo added, her voice choked with emotion. "He's not the same person. I mean, it's hard. We don't know what to do."
According to Dordulian, the delivery driver had an Amazon uniform and the truck had a company logo.
"They create what they call 'delivery service partners,'" the attorney said. "These are independent companies, allegedly, that basically provide a buffer between Amazon and the people who might get hurt with an Amazon truck."
Dordulian said those companies don't have enough liability insurance for an accident like the one that claimed Rangel's life.
The victim's wife said he was trying to save enough money to buy a house. Now those dreams are shattered.
"We had to move my mom closer to us to help her out," Guarjardo said. "We think Amazon should take responsibility and take care of this."
