Bay Area jury awards $33M to twin girls after parents killed in street racing crash

A jury in San Mateo County awarded $33 million to twin girls after their parents were killed in a street racing crash in Redwood City nearly four years ago, attorneys said.

The driver, identified as Cesar Morales, was found liable for the November 4, 2022 collision that killed 42-year-old Grace Spiridon and 44-year-old Gregory Ammen of San Carlos. Police said Morales, who was 17 at the time, struck the couple's vehicle while engaged in a street race.

The couple's children, who were 7 years old at the time, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.

Jurors also found Morales' parents, Arnold Morales and Susana Salto Alvarez, liable for ignoring warnings about their son's driving history.

"We are hopeful today's verdict serves as a wake-up call to Bay Area parents," said attorney Nial McCarthy, who represented the girls. "You cannot ignore warning signs with your teenage children. Parents need to do more than simply provide a car and hope for the best.  They need to act when it is apparent their child needs a course correction."

During the three-week trial, jurors heard evidence that Cesar Morales was driving at speeds up to 110 mph on the night of the crash and had a prior citation of driving more than 100 mph, which his parents said they were not aware of.

Cesar Morales was found responsible for two counts of vehicular manslaughter in juvenile court and was sentenced to 90 days of electronic home monitoring, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal newspaper.

The driver who was racing Morales, Kyle Harrison, pleaded no contest to two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and engaging in a speed contest that led to great bodily injury, according to court records.

Harrison, who was serving an eight-year sentence, was found dead in the San Mateo County Jail in March 2025. The San Mateo County Coroner's Office found Harrison died due to the "Toxic Effects of Methadone, Amitriptyline, and Gabapentin" and ruled the manner of his death as an accident.