Family of young mother, 26, killed by street racers while waiting at bus stop in dystopian Portland take harsh action against city officials

The family of a young mother killed by streets racers while she waited for a autobus are suing Portland authorities for $15M - astir 2 years aft her death. 

Ashlee McGill, 26, was fatally struck erstwhile motorist Jonathan Peña was resistance racing different driver astatine speeds complete 80mph successful August 2022. 

Her devastated family judge her decease could person been prevented arsenic nan area was known arsenic a high-crash corridor which thoroughfare racers often frequented.

Ashlee's mother Mistegay Nicholson revenge a suit connected Wednesday accusing authorities of negligence recklessness and wrongful death.

It comes aft a Portland man was this week near starry-eyed aft a car deed him while illegally driving done a parkland precocious astatine night. The city's rule enforcement has travel nether expanding scrutiny pursuing its efforts to 'defund nan police' pursuing activistic pressure aft nan decease of George Floyd successful 2020.

Ashlee was waiting for a autobus erstwhile Peña's Mustang jumped nan curb and struck her, sidesplitting her instantly. The collision was astatine nan intersection astatine Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 133rd Avenue. 

The suit nan Portland Bureau of Transportation, nan Portland Police bureau, TriMet - Portland's  autobus and commuter obstruction service, nan Oregon Department of Transportation and Multnomah County, among others, KOIN News reported. 

The filing states that nan Portland Bureau of Transportation had designated nan area of Southeast Stark Street arsenic a high-crash corridor.

It adds location were 'lack of warnings and ocular cues.' 

The median located successful nan mediate of nan thoroughfare was raised and posed a threat which prompted nan conveyance to swerve and effort and spell astir it while they were racing. 

Documents besides constituent retired that nan thoroughfare Ashlee was waiting for nan autobus was 'substantially blocked from nan position of eastbound postulation by a telephone pole, trash can, occurrence hydrant and different signage.'

A twelvemonth before, Ashlee died, nan metropolis had little postulation enforcement officers successful nan area wherever nan young mother was killed. 

'It was foreseeable that wounded and decease to pedestrians specified arsenic Ashlee McGill would occur, nan suit said.

Peña pleaded blameworthy to criminally negligent homicide, recklessly endangering different personification and reckless driving.

He was sentenced to 3 years successful situation nan condemnation she called 'too light' prompted outrage.  

'I deliberation that if they are trying to get group to extremity velocity racing, that's not going to do it,' McGill's mother, Misty Nicholson, told KATU News.

Before nan fatal crash, Peña deed 84 mph - 54 mph supra nan posted velocity limit.

Evidence presented successful tribunal showed really nan effect downed character branches, shattered nan windows of a adjacent dental session and rendered his car a mangled wreck.

Peña was charged pinch second-degree manslaughter nan pursuing August, but nan complaint was later adjusted to criminally negligent homicide, a Class B felony.

He pleaded blameworthy to further charges of recklessly endangering different personification and reckless driving were stacked connected during his sentencing.

Peña will service 36 months down bars owed to clip already served, pinch 3 years post-release supervision and five-years' probation. He must besides salary astatine slightest $5,000 restitution.

The different driver, Kenneth Freeman, besides pleaded blameworthy to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to 5 years successful situation past fall. A 3rd driver who partook successful nan title has not been identified.

Nicholson publication a connection during Peña's sentencing, stating: 'I do dream for nan remainder of your life, each clip you adjacent my eyes you spot my girl and retrieve what you did to her.'

McGill was a autochthonal of Portland and a doting mother to her eight-year-old son, Ryker. She is besides survived by her mother, 3 sisters, grandmother, aunt and uncles.

Peña's sentencing came conscionable complete a twelvemonth aft nan transition of Oregon Senate Bill 615, which increases penalties for group convicted of thoroughfare racing.

First-time offenders whitethorn beryllium slapped pinch a condemnation of up to 364 days successful jail, a $6,250 fine, aliases both.

Meanwhile, repetition offenders wrong a five-year play look a maximum of 5 years down bars, a $125,000 fine, aliases both.