Teen Injured in Crosswalk Sues

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that a teen who was injured last year when a car struck her as she attempted to traverse an Arcadia crosswalk has filed a lawsuit against the city and the driver, citing negligence and dangerous conditions.

Bowen Du plowed through a marked crosswalk on the 600 block of Duarte Road, seriously injuring Priyanka Patel, 17, and killing her friend, Arcadia High School student Alice Zhang. 

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Patel is seeking for $25,000 in damages for her injuries.

A judge sentenced Du to one year in jail for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in December. Police reports state the "excessive dirt" on the windshield of Du's Lexus, combined with glare from the setting sun, caused the accident.

However, the safety of the notoriously difficult-to-navigate crosswalk was called into question almost immediately following the April 2011 accident. A group of Zhang's supporters started the "For Alice" movement to lobby the City Council to install traffic lights and other safety measures around the crosswalk.

Aside from Patel's lawsuit, the City and Du also face a $5 million lawsuit filed by Zhang's parents in September.