The widow and four children of a motorcyclist killed in a collision with an Occidental College professor allegedly driving while using a cell phone sued the school and the professor Friday.
Emily Dalton Chavez, the widow of 43-year-old Victor Chavez of Eagle Rock, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Occidental College, the professor, Malek Moazzam-Doulat, and Julie Sadoff, who is described in the complaint as being an owner of the car Moazzam-Doulat was driving.
The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Occidental College spokesman Jim Tranquada said he does not believe the school has been served with the complaint and so he had no immediate comment.
The suit states that Victor Chavez was riding his motorcycle on Eagle Rock Boulevard and was crossing Avenue 42 in Glassell Park on Oct. 9, 2014. Moazzam-Doulat was making a left turn from Avenue 42 onto Eagle Rock Boulevard when he failed to yield to the motorcyclist and collided with him, the suit alleges.
The suit states that the plaintiffs are “informed and believe” the professor failed to obey a stop sign, made an unsafe turn and was “using a handheld wireless telephone while driving.”
Moazzam-Doulat was using the device to “write, send or read a text- based communication,” the suit alleges.
Victor Chavez’s family has lost the financial support he provided as well as his love, companionship and affection, the suit states.
Moazzam-Doulat is described in the Occidental College website as an assistant professor of religious studies.
— City News Service