PLACER COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — Isaac Tidwell, the brother of teenager Anthony Williams, who died after being hit by a car in Rocklin in March, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car, Placer County CEO Todd Leopold.
The lawsuit filed with the Placer County Superior Court details how Leopold struck Williams with his vehicle around 8:00 p.m. along Lonetree Boulevard near Adams Drive on March 19.
Williams, who was 18 at the time, later died of his injuries at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
The lawsuit states that Williams was walking along southbound Lonetree in the number one lane and had the flashlight on his cellphone activated.
The lawsuit states that before Leopold struck Williams, three motorists encountered Williams in the roadway and drove around him without incident, including the vehicle directly in front of Leopold.
At least three people witnessed Williams being struck by Leopold’s Jeep, according to the lawsuit. Two people were walking on the nearby sidewalk along Longtree Boulevard and the other was sitting inside of a nearby restaurant.
“An officer at the scene reported that Leopold’s eyes were red and watery. However, the police did not administer field sobriety tests or a breath or blood test,” according to the lawsuit documents.
Tidwell is seeking, as successor-in-interest to the estate of Williams, “prays for judgment” against Leopold for the following:
- Non-economic damages in excess of the minimum jurisdictional requirements of this court;
- All funeral, burial and other expenses according to proof
- Interest to the extent allowed by law
- All loss of the Decedent’s care and support, according to proof
- All costs of suit
- Pain and suffering damages on behalf of Decedent according to proof
- Hospital, medical, professional and incidental expenses according to proof
- Such other and further relief as this Court may deem just and proper
“All he wanted to do was play basketball, make his mom proud, that’s it,” Tidwell said to FOX40 in a March interview. “Somebody needs to be held accountable. If it was somebody else’s child, I think they would want the same.”
Leopold did not reveal that he was the driver of the vehicle until May 13 following the Rocklin Police Department announcing on May 11 that they would be not be presenting criminal charges against the driver.
“Many individuals have questioned why I didn’t provide an official response to media requests for identification of the driver,” Leopold said in a May statement. “Unfortunately, I could not comment on the pending investigation and certainly did not want to be perceived, in any way, as attempting to influence the outcome of the Rocklin Police Department’s investigation.”
Williams’ family questioned the outcome of Rocklin Police’s investigation.
“You feel like he wasn’t speeding or you feel like he wasn’t under the influence? I don’t — I just don’t understand why wouldn’t you guarantee some facts,” Tidwell said to FOX40 in May. “Why wouldn’t you just drug test, blood test him to make sure. Now, we got all these questions and wondering why now? Like why hasn’t anything been done? It’s been two months.”
On May 27, the Placer County Board of Supervisors placed Leopold on paid leave for an unknown reason.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors held a closed-session disciplinary meeting where Leopold was given a 30-day termination notice for a discrimination and harassment complaint filed by an employee on May 25, 2022.
The board said that the termination was not done in connection with Leopold’s involvement in the death of Williams.
Rocklin Police report:
Full complaint below:
Matthew Nobert contributed reporting.