2nd Lawsuit Filed Against PGC, Education Board By Family Of Kids Killed In Crosswalk

HYATTSVILLE, MD — The parents of two young children fatally hit last November while in the crosswalk in front of Riverdale Elementary School have filed a lawsuit against Prince George’s County police, the county government and the Prince George’s County Board of Education.

The 22-page suit seeks up to $58 million in punitive and compensatory damages. The suit was filed on behalf of Sky Sosa’s mother, Laura Palacios, against Prince George’s County Fire & EMS, the Prince George’s County Board of Education and two private individuals, including the driver of the van. It cites “systemic failures” as a contributor to Sosa’s death. Last month, the family of Shalom Mbah, the 10-year-old girl killed in the crash, also filed suit against Prince George’s County.

The lawsuit blames the county for not having a crossing guard posted at the crossing at the time and for what they claim was a slow response by the fire department. The suit accuses the county itself of failures in emergency response procedures and traffic safety, claiming it took the Prince George’s County Fire and Medical Services Department roughly half an hour to arrive on the scene, according to WTOP.

“We’re trying to get some justice for Sky’s family and for Sky’s death,” said Christian Hudson, a partner at the law firm of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, which is representing the Sosa family. Hudson told WTOP that the Prince George’s County Board of Education was aware the "lack of crossing guards was a dangerous situation and allowed the tragedy to occur, but did nothing about it."

On Nov. 20, 2023, 5-year-old Sky Sosa and 10-year-old Shalom Mbah were hit and killed by a van taking other students to school. The two kids were accompanied by Sky’s father, Franklin Sosa, at the time of the incident. He also was hit but his injuries weren't life-threatening, Patch reported previously.

In June of this year, the van's driver, Olga Lugo Jimenez of Hyattsville, was indicted on charges of criminally negligent manslaughter and causing serious physical injury and/or death of a vulnerable individual while operating a motor vehicle.

After the incident, Jiminez told people she accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake, although that was not confirmed by police officials, according to WJLA.