Lawsuit tangle over bus crash

There are four lawsuits filed by three civilians and a Burlingame police officer against San Mateo resident Gary Parma and his landscaping company. The driver responsible for the accident was Parma’s employee and driving a company truck. Parma also sits on the San Mateo Parks and Recreation Commission and was a vocal opponent of the city’s discussion of eminent domain regarding the Peninsula Avenue overpass.

Two of the civilian lawsuits also name the city of Burlingame as a defendant.

At noon on May 18, 2006, Burlingame police Officer Kevin Thorpe was driving south on El Camino Real near Edgehill Drive, apparently tried to avoid crashing into a truck and ended up in a head-on collision with a northbound SamTrans bus. The mangled patrol car landed on the sidewalk between two eucalyptus trees. The bus stopped on the street next to the car and had major damage to its right front end.

Eleven SamTrans passengers and Thorpe were taken to the hospital.

CHP investigated the accident because it involved a city police officer. CHP officials said 57-year-old San Mateo resident Hugo Meza Santillan was driving a white 1998 Chevrolet truck north on El Camino Real when he attempted to make a left turn onto Forest View Avenue. Witnesses said the police officer, who was driving south on El Camino Real, swerved into the northbound lanes to avoid being hit by the truck and hit the right front end of the northbound, 60-foot-long Route 390 SamTrans bus. The CHP filed a complaint to the San Mateo District Attorney’s Office that Santillan failed to yield. Santillan was never charged with a crime.

When reached for comment, Parma declined to comment on the advice of his attorney.

The first lawsuit was filed in October by Thorpe against Santillan, Parma and Parma’s landscaping company. The case is headed to jury trial later this year and is the only case so far in which the defendants were served with the lawsuit, according to court records.

Rosa Adriana Oliva, 24, filed a lawsuit on May 23 against Parma, his company, Santillan, SamTrans, Burlingame and Thorpe, according to court records.

A day later, Presentacion Macato filed suit against Santillan and Parma. On June 1, Patricia Cano, Jose Batres, representing themselves and child Jocelyn Najera filed suit against Parma, his company, Santillan, SamTrans, Burlingame and Thorpe, according to court records.

Attorneys for Burlingame and SamTrans passengers returned phone calls yesterday.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.