On the evening of November 3rd, 2014 in West Sacramento, 24-year old male Shane Holland and his boyfriend Brady Lawrence, 24, ordered a ride from the popular car-service company Lyft. During the home from a costume party, their Lyft driver, Shanti Adhikari, who was 31 at the time, swerved in the rainy weather conditions to avoid crashing into a stalled car that was stopped in front of him on the freeway. As a result of the swerving, Adhikari hit a tree on the road’s shoulder. Holland died immediately at the scene, even though he was wearing a seatbelt.
The accident occurred around 1:30am, and the vehicle in question was a Toyota Camry. The driver, Adhikari, and the other passenger, Lawrence, sustained moderate injuries during the collision in comparison to Holland’s fatality. No charges had been sought against any of the drivers, and it appeared that alcohol or drugs did not play a part in the accident. However, CHP spokesman Chard Hertzell stated that Adhikari was driving too fast given the rainy weather conditions. ‘If you’re going slower you’re gonna be able to see a vehicle stalled out in front of you, especially in wet weather,’ Hertzell told Fox.
Lyft spokeswoman Erin Simpson said that this was the first death during a ride for the company, and confirmed that the car-service company maintains a $1million-dollar liability policy to protect drivers and passengers in these types of situations. She also stated that, ‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones involved in this tragedy. We are deeply saddened to hear this news and will continue to support those involved as well as authorities in the ongoing investigation.’
