Authorities are now facing a $50-million claim following a fatal crash that ultimately led to the death of a 65-year-old homeless woman, Monica Cameroni de Adams, in November 2023.
According to the lawsuit, a DUI crash on November 5 sent a 2001 Honda Odyssey crashing into another parked vehicle on the 5000 block of Clairemont Drive. The collision reportedly pushed the van’s rear door into the middle row where Cameroni de Adams was sleeping.
After the crash, the van was towed and secured at a local impound yard. Nearly a month later, a tow yard employee detected a pungent odor emanating from the vehicle. When investigators opened the van, they discovered Cameroni de Adams’ body.
The autopsy revealed that she suffered rib fractures, a spine fracture, and a broken arm from blunt force trauma sustained in the collision.
The lawsuit alleges that officers and tow truck operators failed to conduct a basic inventory of the vehicle, overlooking signs that a living person was inside. The crash involved Jordan Lopez, whose erratic driving led to the collision; Lopez has since pleaded guilty to DUI causing great bodily injury.
Cameroni de Adams’ daughter filed a missing persons report on November 14 after not hearing from her mother on her birthday. This San Diego DUI crash case remains under investigation as the claim moves forward.
