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Lawsuit Filed Against Greenfield Union School District In DUI Crash That Killed Siblings In South Bakersfield

January 11, 2023 | Article by Chain | Cohn | Clark staff | News & Media , Cases

Lawsuit Filed Against Greenfield Union School District In DUI Crash That Killed Siblings In South Bakersfield

The attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark have filed lawsuits on behalf of the parents of siblings who died a year ago in an alleged DUI crash in south Bakersfield.

Caylee Brown, 9, and her brother Jeffrey “J.J.” Malone Jr., 19, were standing at a bus stop on Panama Lane in December 2021 when motorist Lisa Gwen Core, 47, veered into eastbound lanes while driving west and struck both siblings, according to California Highway Patrol reports. JJ had just met Caylee at the school bus drop-off when Core’s sedan veered across the eastbound lanes of Panama Lane, jumped the curb, and mowed them down on the sidewalk.

The lawsuit alleges Greenfield Union School District approved bus routes and a stop on heavily traveled roads that “expose students” to a “foreseeable risk of harm.” Attorney Matt Clark provided the following statement to media:

“This was a tragic incident that claimed the lives of Caylee and J.J. We had previously filed a civil lawsuit against the alleged impaired driver Lisa Core, who has multiple pending felony counts in a criminal case filed by the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. On behalf of our clients, we recently made a claim against the Greenfield Union School District pursuant to the California Tort Claims Act, and in the early portion of next year, we’ll have the opportunity to begin discovery into why the school district chose to put a bus stop for elementary-aged students on a busy street with a speed limit of 50 miles per hour.”

A hearing is scheduled for April 4.

Chain | Cohn | Clark also filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parents against Core stating she was read the Watson Advisal, which warns convicted DUI drivers that driving intoxicated behind the wheel can lead to death. Core has two prior DUI convictions.

Core has pleaded not guilty to two second-degree murders charges, two gross manslaughter-while-intoxicated charges, a misdemeanor of driving while her license was suspended and an infraction of failing to provide insurance at the collision’s scene. A hearing to see if attorneys are ready for trial is set for Jan. 27.

During a preliminary hearing in Core’s criminal case, a Bakersfield Police Department officer testified she was driving 52 mph right before the crash, according to media reports. Another officer testified he saw pills and pill bottles scattered in her car after the collision. A Kern County criminalist testified Core’s blood tested positive for amphetamines, methamphetamine, clonazepam and seven-amino clonazepam. The measurement of meth was higher than what the criminalist’s machine could calculate, she testified during the preliminary hearing, according to reports.

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If you or someone you know is injured in an accident at the fault of someone else, or injured on the job no matter whose fault it is, contact the attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark by calling (661) 323-4000, or fill out a free consultation form, text, or chat with us at chainlaw.com.

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