SACRAMENTO, CA – A 70-year-old grandmother was killed in her daughter’s driveway after her own SUV allegedly rolled backward and struck her, according to a lawsuit that claims the vehicle malfunctioned and lacked critical safety features.
Sue Rooney died on May 15 after her 2020 Land Rover Discovery began moving in reverse moments after she exited the vehicle, her family alleges in a legal complaint obtained by Law&Crime. The lawsuit names Jaguar Land Rover as a defendant, accusing the automaker of producing a defective vehicle that failed to prevent an unintended rollaway.
The complaint states, “This incident was avoidable because the vehicle contains all of the equipment necessary to prevent unintended rollaways but the vehicle’s manufacturer — Jaguar Land Rover — opted not to enable the features that would have secured the vehicle when it detected Ms. Rooney exited with the engine on and the transmission not in park.”
Family recounts fatal driveway incident
Rooney had just finished babysitting her grandchildren when the incident unfolded, according to her family. Her daughter, Kathleen Rooney, described the sequence of events in an interview with KCRA.
“She got inside her car and started her car and then she exited her car to tell my husband something, and the car started moving in reverse,” Kathleen Rooney said. “The car door hit her. She fell on the ground, and then the car rolled over her. On my flat driveway.”
The lawsuit alleges the SUV’s gear selector was defective and caused the vehicle to move unexpectedly. It further claims Jaguar Land Rover “negligently, recklessly and carelessly manufactured, designed, developed, processed, produced, assembled, built, tested, inspected, installed, warned, equipped, endorsed, exported, wholesaled … and/or otherwise distributed” the vehicle.
Legal claims cite prior incidents and safety concerns
According to the complaint, Rooney’s death is “particularly egregious” because Jaguar Land Rover has previously faced lawsuits involving similar incidents in which vehicles allegedly rolled and injured or killed their owners.
“Countless others have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about unintended rollaway incidents in Jaguar Land Rover vehicles,” the complaint alleges. “Jaguar Land Rover thus knows that its vehicles are death traps, and it can fix the problem with a simple software update. Yet, apparently afraid of the negative publicity that will result from a voluntary recall or similar corrective action, Jaguar Land Rover has decided to leave hundreds of thousands of unsafe vehicles on the road.”
Attorney Dylan Ruga, representing Rooney’s family, said the case centers on what he described as a missing safety safeguard. “It lacks what is referred to as a driver exit strategy, which is technology to secure the vehicle when it detects a driver exiting with the transmission not in park,” Ruga told KCRA.
Family members say Rooney’s death has left a lasting void. “She’s what kept our family strong,” said daughter Erin Farrell. “There needs to be change. Like this car cannot continue to be on the road and continue to potentially take lives.”
In a statement to KCRA, Jaguar Land Rover said, “JLR is committed to the safety of our customers and is saddened to hear of this incident. As this matter is now related to pending litigation, we will not comment further.”
