Bicyclist sues Mountain View over ‘trap’ of a road

[Scott Mace]

Bicyclist sues Mountain View over ‘trap’ of a road

By Braden Cartwright, Daily Post Staff Writer

Palo Alto Daily Post, August 14, 2025

A bicyclist who was hit by a van and broke her pelvis on Moffett
Boulevard is suing the city of Mountain View, alleging that the city
knew the road was a trap but didn’t make the crosswalks safer.

Andreea Raluca Semenescu, 28, of Bucharest, Romania, was crossing on
Leong Drive on Dec. 2 around 3:35 p.m. when she was hit by Luis Martinez
Morales, 39, of Morgan Hill, the crash report said.

Semenescu was on a Google bike, and Martinez Morales was driving a cargo
van for a plumbing company based in San Jose. Semenescu had to be pulled
out from under the van and brought to Stanford Hospital, the crash
report said.

She had multiple broken bones in her pelvis and ribs, cuts to her
kidney, head and midsection, a blood clot in her lung, nerve damage near
her spine and a dislocated left knee, the crash report said.

Martinez Morales told police he was turning right from Leong Drive onto
Moffett Boulevard, and he thought Semenescu was doing the same. But
Semenescu was actually using the crosswalk to go straight across Moffett
Boulevard, the crash report and witnesses said.

Won’t walk for a year

Semenescu likely won’t walk for at least a year as she continues to
recover, her aunt from Atlanta told police.

Semenescu’s attorney filed a claim against the city on May 28 saying the
city should’ve changed the signal timing to allow pedestrians and
cyclists to enter the crosswalk before turning cars.

The city knew the intersection was dangerous as evidence by a “turning
vehicles yield” sign, the claim said.

The city should’ve added more signals, lights and street markings, the
claim said.

“This location created a crap for motorists along with bicyclists and
pedestrians,” the claim said.

Plan for bike lanes

Senior Assistant City Attorney Dave Wilgus rejected the claim on July 3,
and Semeescu filed her lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court on
Aug. 8.

Semenescu is represented by personal injury attorney Malosack Berjis.
She is suing Martinez Morales and his plumbing company for negligence
and the city for having unsafe public property.

City spokeswoman Lenka Wright declined to comment on the lawsuit yesterday.

The city is working on a plan for the area around Moffett Boulevard that
includes more housing, wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes.

[Scott's comment: Any expert witnesses out there?]