A homeless woman in San Diego tragically lost her life in the back of her wrecked van, which was towed to an impound lot without anyone checking inside first. The family of Monica Cameroni de Adams has filed a $50 million lawsuit in response to the incident.
On November 5, 2023, Cameroni de Adams, who lived in her Honda Odyssey, was severely injured when a drunk driver crashed into her parked vehicle on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Despite her injuries being potentially survivable, the 65-year-old woman was overlooked when her van was towed to an impound lot, according to the lawsuit.
Cameroni de Adams was reportedly visible in the middle row seats of her van, but no one noticed her presence. Her body was discovered a month later, on December 6, 2023, when a yard worker reported a strong odor emanating from the vehicle.
The lawsuit alleges that Cameroni de Adams’ death was a direct result of her being left alone in her vehicle, struggling with her injuries. The family’s lawyer, John Carpenter, described the situation as her being “entombed” in her car and left to die in the tow yard.
The woman’s two adult children, who had previously filed a missing persons report, are now suing the city of San Diego for wrongful death. They accuse the authorities of negligence and “tortious interference with human remains,” among other complaints. The city of San Diego, San Diego Police Department, Roadway Towing & Recovery, and others are listed as defendants in the lawsuit. The city has declined to comment on the case.
The children had been actively searching for their mother, filing a missing persons report on November 14, 2023, when she failed to respond to birthday messages. The lawsuit does not detail the children’s relationship with their mother or why she was living in her van.
Cameroni de Adams’ official cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma injuries. The drunk driver involved in the crash, Jordan Lopez, initially faced a vehicular manslaughter charge, which was later reduced to DUI causing injury. Lopez is set to be sentenced next week and could face up to six years in prison.