Former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Owl Inc. Transportation after Newport tragically died from a broken neck allegedly suffered during a transport van ride for a medical appointment, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The family is now demanding answers about the incident that cut the life of 88-year-old Newport, who was a civil rights leader and two-term Berkeley mayor.
On June 12, Newport was being transported to the VA Medical Center in San Francisco by an Owl transport van for a routine medical checkup when the incident occurred, the San Francisco Chronicle revealed. The van driver reportedly found Newport had fallen from his wheelchair, and cardiac arrest followed, leading to Newport's death on June 17 after he never regained consciousness. Newport's family initially believed his death had been due to cardiac arrest, but a partial autopsy report later revealed blunt force head and neck trauma as the cause of death.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court accuses Florida-based Owl Inc. Transportation and the unnamed van driver of negligence, misconduct, elder abuse, and wrongful death. Former mayor Newport's spouse, Kathryn Ruth Kasch, son Kyle Newport, and daughter Maria Mercedes Newport are seeking unspecified general and punitive damages, as reported by The Daily Californian.
Kyle Newport lamented that people assumed his father died of old age, but in reality, he was quite healthy and active for his age. Newport had his right leg amputated below the knee back in 2021 but maintained his upper body strength with weights and therapy to continue lifting himself in and out of his wheelchair, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It is still unclear how Newport was injured during the transport van ride, and the family is trying to obtain Owl Transport's footage of the incident but has been refused so far. The first hearing in the case is scheduled for December 20.
As the family of former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport grapples with the loss of their loved one, the outcome of this lawsuit could inspire change and improvements in the transport industry, potentially saving other families from experiencing the same devastation. "The point of the lawsuit is to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else," said Kyle Newport, hoping that their fight for justice will lead to a safer future for others in need of critical transport services.
