A former actor and motorcycle champion and his wife have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Caltrans, a contractor, the California Highway Patrol and the alleged drunken driver who drove through a freeway closure and fatally struck their son as he was performing construction work last year in Baldwin Park, an attorney for the family said Wednesday.
Connor McDermott Penhall, 21, died at the scene of the April 4, 2012, crash on the westbound 10 Freeway at Francisquito Avenue, according to officials and attorney Jeff Roberts of the Orange County-based Roberts Law firm, who is representing Penhall’s parents Bruce and Laurie Penhall.
Connor Penhall was working for Colorado-based Caltrans contractor Flatiron Construction Corp. when he was struck, officials said.
Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 39, of Arcadia is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, drunken driving causing injury and driving with a blood-alcohol level above .08, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
