MILTON, Ga. — Two parents in Milton were awarded $35 million after a jury found the city liable for their son's 2016 death when he swerved off a road and struck a concrete planter that, they said, should never have been there.
It was believed that 21-year-old Joshua Chang, who was a senior at Yale University home for Thanksgiving at the time of the crash, was trying to avoid an animal.
According to State Court of Fulton County records obtained by 11Alive, he was going within the speed limit and there were no drugs, alcohol, or cell phone use involved in the crash. Other possible factors, like falling asleep or a tire/mechanical issue with the car, were also ruled out in the crash.
The planter - a large industrial tire surrounded by concrete - was at the entrance to the Little River Farms wedding/event venue on Batesville Road.
The lawsuit filed by Chang's parents, John Chang and Rebecca Zhu, alleged the city violated its own ordinances by allowing the planter to be there.
The case was about a "violation on the part of the City of Milton to safely maintain its roadways," the lawsuit stated. "This breach in duty was the direct cause of Josh's death."
A verdict in the suit was delivered this week by a jury, who found the city liable in Chang's death. The verdict form found Milton "maintained a defect in the public roads of its municipal street system" and "maintained a nuisance dangerous to life or health."
According to the original lawsuit, Chang was studying mechanical engineering and economics at Yale. He was months away from graduating with a bright future ahead of him at the time of the crash, the lawsuit stated.
"By all accounts, he was a gifted student and a devoted friend... he was highly involved in numerous clubs and student organizations, and he was loved by all who knew him," the lawsuit stated. "His untimely death can only be described as a tragedy, especially considering the likely trajectory and potential of his young life. You would be hard-pressed to find a more outstanding young man."
On the day of the crash, Chang had gone to Atlanta to meet up with friends. According to the suit, he stopped on the way back at a store and, as he was leaving, "he sent a text message to his mother saying that he would be home soon, but, sadly, he never made it back."
