Families of 3 killed in alleged street racing crash win round in court

The families of three people killed in a fiery three- vehicle collision in Burbank in 2021 that allegedly occurred during an illegal street race can proceed with their part of the case against the city, a judge has ruled.

Along with 20-year-old Jaiden Kishon Johnson of Burbank, those also killed in the Aug. 3, 2021, crash on North Glenoaks Boulevard at Andover Drive were Cerain Anthony Raekwon Baker, 21, of Pasadena, and Natalee Asal Moghaddam, 19, of Calabasas. The lawsuits were later consolidated into a single case that names multiple other defendants.

On Wednesday, Alhambra Superior Court Judge Joel L. Lofton denied a motion by attorneys for the city to dismiss the part of the case against the city wholly or in part. Among other things, the plaintiff's attorneys claimed a dangerous condition existed at the intersection of North Glenoaks Boulevard at Andover Drive, including the traffic signal timing strategy. Those arguments were challenged in the defense motion, which laid blame for the wreck on the drivers of two other cars allegedly engaged in a street race.

"The court finds that there are triable issues of fact concerning whether the location of the street and its physical characteristics combined to create a dangerous condition and whether the city had constructive notice of the dangerous condition," Lofton wrote. "Specifically, the physical characteristic is the synchronized traffic lights creating an all-green visual which may have induced dangerous behavior such as street racing."

The plaintiffs also provided evidence that the city had prior knowledge of recurring street racing incidents and speeding on the same portion of road, documented through the public service announcement about street racing, according to Lofton.

The victims were in a silver Volkswagen Jetta that was "attempting to negotiate a left turn from southbound Glenoaks Boulevard to eastbound Andover Drive, when the traffic collision occurred," Burbank police Sgt. Emil Brimway said shortly after the crash.

Johnson had a full-time job working security and spoke daily to his mother after having recently moving to California to "chase his dreams and goal of becoming a music producer" and his goals had just started taking shape, the suit states.

"Unfortunately, this incident took Jaiden Johnson's life, dreams and goals away prematurely," the suit states.

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