A Lemon Grove mother is taking legal action against the City of Lemon Grove after her son was hit and killed in a car crash.
“It was so horrific, I couldn’t even let him go,” said Tanya Harris as he recalls the painful memory from May 3rd.
Tanya Harris said she was on her way to pick-up her 13 year old son, Trevon Harris, with her nine-year old son Ty Harris in the back seat.
“It would've been the first time his brother was playing basketball and [Trevon Harris] was going to watch his brother play,” she recalled.
Tanya Harris said when she reached San Miguel Avenue near San Miguel Elementary school her heart stopped.
“When I came up on the road I immediately saw a body on the road, I pulled over, when I pulled over and I ran out I knew it was my child’s body laying on the ground,” she said through tears.
The worst part explained Tanya Harris was that her nine-year-old son also witnessed this.
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“That's when I realized my child, my son was sitting in the back seat looking and looking at his brother from the ground from the car,” she said. “Ty is nine and autistic and for him to have to process for him to have to go through this.”
Tanya Harris wants to make the roads safer, she’s since spoken at a Lemon Grove City Council meeting advocating for a speed bump or stop sign on San Miguel Avenue.
She has also hired legal counsel and filed a claim against the City of Lemon Grove stating the city knew the road was dangerous for students because of speeding cars.
“People are known to speed down that road, the city has been on notice and the school district has been on notice that drivers speed on that road,” said trial attorney Rhonda Holmes.
Holmes and King Aminpour are representing Tanya Harris.
“The road in which Trevon Harris was killed is not only horribly maintained, it has gravel all over it and divots and pots which causes drivers to skid and slide,” explained Holmes.
The City of Lemon Grove told NBC 7 they cannot comment due to possible litigation.
Holmes plans to file another claim to the Lemon Grove School District on Monday.
Previously, the school district told NBC 7 they are reviewing what they can do to make safer pick-up and drop-off points for students and parents.
“It took my child his life to be able to do this,” lamented Tanya Harris.
The San Diego Sheriff's Department shared this statement with NBC 7 regarding the investigation:
The Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation is wrapping up its investigation. The Traffic Investigator has found there is no fault on the part of the driver. After speaking to witnesses and reviewing the car's "black box" or event data recorder (EDR) information, it was determined the actions of the driver were non-criminal. The pedestrian darted into the path of the oncoming traffic. No charges are expected to be filed in this incident.
Tanya Harris and her surviving son Ty Harris are seeing therapists to cope with the loss and the aftermath they witnessed.
“His smile was infectious, he would smile and hold me and hug me, and say I love you mom,” said Harris.
