Crash Victim Testifies Dangerous Redondo Intersection Prevented Him from Seeing Oncoming Car

REDONDO BEACH, CA -- A man who was involved in a crash at the same Redondo Beach intersection where a former UCLA offensive lineman lost part of his left leg seven years later testified Tuesday that an incline on Pacific Coast Highway prevented him from seeing the SUV that struck him broadside until it was too late.

"Within seconds I saw a red (Ford) Expedition and I didn't have time to react," 31-year-old Kenneth Campa told a Los Angeles Superior Court jury. "It was the most traumatic experience I've ever had. I was glad to be able to walk away with my life."

Campa was the first witness in trial of Amir "Nick" Ekbatani's negligence lawsuit against the state of California and Caltrans. The complaint alleges the gradual pavement slope on southbound PCH just before it reaches Diamond Street near the Redondo Beach Civic Center prevented taxi van driver Mesfin Kinfu from seeing Ekbatani as he traveled north on the state highway.

The July 14, 2014, collision caused Ekbatani to lose his left leg below the knee.

Ekbatani's lawyers maintain the state knew about prior complaints and accidents at the intersection and should have taken steps to make the intersection safer, including installing a left-turn signal.

Lawyers for the Attorney General's Office maintain the intersection is not dangerous and has had comparatively few accidents over a longterm period. The crossings of the two streets is known as a "skewed" intersection because Diamond crosses PCH at a diagonal.

Campa testified that he was 19 years old and en route to his sister's high school softball game on the day of his 2005 accident.

He acknowledged that he partially drove across the double-yellow line in the middle of PCH while turning left to the smaller street. He said he tried to act quickly and avoid the oncoming SUV, which contained a mother and her child.

"My initial intent was to try to accelerate and avoid the impact," Campa said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

Campa said he would not have made the turn if he had noticed the approaching vehicle earlier.

"If I would have seen it, clearly I would not have made that judgment," Campa said.

Campa said he recalls only part of the aftermath of the accident.

"I was in shock," he said. "I was trying to process what was happening."

Campa said he did not realize until a subsequent visit to the intersection that the grade on PCH may have contributed to his accident. He also said he did not report his concerns or file a complaint with Caltrans.

"In reflection, if I knew who to report to I probably would have said something," Campa testified.

Campa said he heard that the SUV's occupants recovered from the accident despite being trapped for a while in their vehicle. Campa said he was not cited for the accident.

Ekbatani, now 29, was a football standout at South High in Torrance and UCLA, where he played from 2006-09.

Ekbatani also sued Kinfu, but that part of the case was settled before trial. Kinfu's cross-complaint against the state for indemnification also is being tried with Ekbatani's claims against the state.

-- City News Service. Patch file photo