Blog Post

California Teenager Appeals Sentence in SUV Rollover Crash


September 04, 2007
Topic: Vehicle Rollovers

In July last year, Redwood City California teenager Edith Delgado was driving on Highway 101 when her vehicle sideswiped a Ford Explorer. The impact caused the SUV to roll over several times killing its passengers - 55 year old Prince Tu'ipelehake, his 46 year old wife Princes Kaimana Aleamotu'a Tuku'aho and their driver 36 year ole Palo Alto California resident Vinisia Hefa. The prince and princess were members of Tonga's royal family. They were visiting the San Francisco Bay area for discussions with the local Tongan community on democratic reforms in their tiny South Pacific Ocean archipelago nation

Last week, a San Mateo Superior County Court sentenced Delgado to two years in prison after it found her guilty of vehicular misdemeanor charges. Delgado had earlier been acquitted of felony charges. This week, Delgado's attorneys appealed against the sentence terming it too excessive for a misdemeanor. The teenager has already served 11 months in jail.

The courts might have found Delgado at fault in the crash, and authorities have alleged that she was racing with another driver when the crash and fatal rollover occurred. However, in June this year, the Tongan royal family filed a lawsuit against the Ford Motor Co. charging the automaker with knowing that their SUV had heightened tendencies to rollover. That's not all. The lawsuit went on to allege that the roof of the SUV was not designed to withstand damage in the event of a rollover, and the subsequent roof crush contributed to the deaths of the royal couple.

In recent years, Ford has faced dozens of lawsuits arising from wrongful deaths caused by auto accidents involving its Explorer, the most popular SUV in the country. Despite the numerous fatalities caused by rollover and roof crush, Ford has not made any design changes significant enough to make it as safe as most other cars.

If you've been injured in an SUV rollover or because of a crushed roof, know that there are steps you can take to protect your rights. Call the personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.