From Forbes
A Lyft passenger died in a crash on a highway outside of Sacramento, Calif. early Saturday morning, an accident that will test the car-service company’s insurance policies.
The fatal accident occurred at 1:25 a.m. on westbound Interstate 80 in Citrus Heights during heavy rain, said California Highway Patrol Officer Chad Hertzell. An unknown car rear-ended a Kia and drove away, and the Kia spun out into the middle lanes and stalled.
The driver of the Lyft, a Toyota Camry, saw the stalled Kia and swerved off to the right, Hertzell told FORBES. The Lyft, which had two passengers in it, hit a tree, spun some more, and hit a second tree. The back left side of the car collided with the tree, killing the passenger sitting in the back left seat. Hertzell said the Lyft was traveling around 65 miles per hour.
The passenger was 24-year-old Shane Holland of West Sacramento, according to the Sacramento County Coroner. Holland’s father told local television station FOX40 said Holland was riding back from a Halloween party with his boyfriend.
This is the first time a Lyft passenger has died in an accident, the company said. Lyft’s insurance policies are built to protect passengers and other parties in accidents like this, but which policy depends on which party is found to be at fault.
Lyft has a $1 million liability policy, but liability policies only go into effect when the driver is found to be at fault. Otherwise, the insurance of the party that is at fault is responsible for paying.
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