Lawsuit Alleges City Failed to Prevent Vehicle Access Despite Prior Incidents
The family of Sherese Allen, a woman fatally struck by a vehicle while resting on the beach last fall, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Santa Monica, alleging the city’s negligence created a hazardous environment that contributed to her death.
The complaint, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that the city failed to implement adequate measures to prevent vehicles from accessing the beach, despite a history of similar incidents. It also names the driver, Yuyang Sun, and several individuals associated with him as defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Allen was lying on the sand near Santa Monica Beach on October 17, 2024, when Sun allegedly drove his vehicle onto the beach and began making high-speed circular motions in the sand. The complaint alleges that Sun, without regard for others present, struck Allen and trapped her beneath the vehicle. She died as a result of her injuries.
The plaintiffs, identified as Eugenia Tate and Antron Allen, argue that the city, which maintains jurisdiction over the beach area, failed to install the proper safeguards that could have prevented unauthorized vehicle access to the area. The complaint states that previous incidents and fatalities involving vehicles on the beach should have prompted city officials to take corrective action.
“Eugenia Tate and Antron Allen are Sherese’s surviving parents and were heartbroken to learn of their daughter’s death,” said attorney Elise Sanguinetti of Arias Sanguinetti. “Yuyang San killed her, and the City of Santa Monica allowed it to happen. The biggest reason for this lawsuit is to convince Santa Monica to finally make the beach safe so that this never happens again.”
While there were rumors that Allen was unhoused, her family’s legal representative said that was false and she did have a home.
Before initiating the lawsuit, Allen’s family filed a formal government claim in March 2025, a required step in seeking legal redress from a public agency. The case is Eugenia Tate and Antron Allen v. The City of Santa Monica, Yuyang Sun, Liang Tang, Jie Ding, in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
