Wrongful death suit filed against Hyundai in O.C.
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SANTA ANA – A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Wednesday against Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley and several executives, accusing them of helping a colleague flee the country after allegedly killing a motorcycle rider in a drunken driving accident. Ryan Dallas Cook, 23, of Huntington Beach, died in an Oct. 19, 2005, accident on the 55 freeway when his motorcycle collided with a sport utility vehicle driven by Youn Bum Lee that had hit the median, attorneys for Cook’s father said. The lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court names Hyundai Motor America, Hyundai Motor Finance Co. and Lee as defendants, as well as Jin Hwan (Jason) Ryu, Young Jang and unnamed “Doe” defendants. In addition to Cook’s parents, Carlton and Janet Cook, his sisters Marie, Katie and Kristi are listed as plaintiffs. The suit, which will be heard by Judge David McEachen, seeks damages for wrongful death and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to Kathy Parker, vice president of human resources for Hyundai, Lee was fired shortly after the crash, and the company has fully cooperated with authorities. Huyndai is unaware of Lee’s whereabouts, Parker stated. It was unclear if Ryu and Jang are still employed by Hyundai. Lee was with other Hyundai executives the night of the crash, entertaining visiting executives from Seoul, and drank heavily, according to the lawsuit. Lee had at least eight shots of Soju, a rice wine, at Seoul Oak Restaurant and more alcohol at 25 Si, a karaoke bar, the lawsuit stated. Then, the suit alleges, he got into a company Hyundai Tucson and drove alone toward his Irvine home shortly after midnight. The lawsuit alleges that he was driving erratically about the time Cook, a trombonist with the band Suburban Legends, was riding home after band practice. The SUV hit a median and spun out in a car pool lane ahead of Cook, according to the lawsuit. Cook skidded into the SUV as Lee backed away from the barrier, and was thrown from his motorcycle and struck by three other vehicles, according to the lawsuit. He died at the scene. “What unfolded was possible criminal conduct, not just by Mr. Lee, but up and down the corporate chain,” attorney Wylie Aitken said. Aitken said that later that morning, Lee went to work, and numerous Hyundai officials arranged for him to meet with a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles. Following that meeting, Ryu and Jang dropped Lee off at Los Angeles International Airport, where he bought an open-ended ticket to South Korea, officials said. Aitken said that valuable hours of investigation were lost while Hyundai executives focused on helping Lee line up lawyers and get out of the country, while Cook’s family and police were in darkness. “The family had just experienced every family’s worst nightmare, the loss of a child, followed by callous indifference, coverup and going six months without any idea what had happened to their son,” Aitken said. “Where is the closure for the family?” With no access to Lee and much of the information known only to Hyundai, Aitken said, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office only recently initiated extradition proceedings with the State Department in an effort to return Lee for criminal prosecution. “The fate of such efforts is uncertain,” Aitken said. “It is hoped that the civil suit filed today will further aid the process in holding Hyundai accountable for its actions in causing Ryan Dallas Cook’s death and its aftermath,” Aitken said Wednesday. “It is important for the family to learn the truth.” Orange County prosecutors last month charged Lee in absentia with three felonies in the death: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs with injury, and hit-and-run with injury or death. |