A motorcycle passenger was killed in Huntington Beach on Saturday.
The accident happened at 8:35 p.m. at the intersection of Goldenwest St. and Rio Vista Dr., which is controlled by a traffic signal. Kelly Morehouse, a 25-year-old Huntington Beach resident, was a passenger on her boyfriend Taylor Rolfson's 2012 black Harley Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle was southbound on Goldenwest. It was struck by a blue 2010 Lexus sedan, driven by 68-year-old Tadashi Mizutani, a Huntington Beach resident. Mizutani was northbound on Goldenwest.
Morehouse was rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The motorcycle driver, Rolfson, broke both legs in the accident. The Lexus driver, Mizutani, was uninjured in the accident.
Tadashi Mizutani, president of Tobelas Corporation, a Los Angeles residential care facility, was later arrested for driving under the influence and causing a fatality.
If you or a family member has suffered injury or death as the result of a drunk driving accident or motorcycle accident, you should speak with a personal injury attorney to learn about your right to compensation.
In this case, not only is Mr. Mizutani liable for economic and non-economic damages, but he is also liable for punitive damages. Under California law, an injury victim is entitled to punitive damages from a drunk driver. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for his criminally negligent act.
The attorneys at McGee, Lerer & Associates, a Long Beach personal injury law firm, are available 24/7 for a free consultation. Daniel McGee and Catherine Lerer are a husband and wife team of accident attorneys with over 38 years of combined experience. We specialize in serious injury and wrongful death cases.