BURLINGAME, Calif. — Burlingame parents Xiaoming Fang and Ting Ting Liu have filed a lawsuit against the City of Burlingame and multiple other parties in a wrongful death case following the tragic death of their 4-year-old son, Ayden Fang, last year.
On Aug. 8, 2025, 4-year-old Ayden Fang was killed when a Mazda compact SUV collided with him at about 6:20 p.m. outside a poké restaurant on Donnelly Avenue in downtown Burlingame. The collision also caused serious injuries to a 6-year-old girl who had been playing with Ayden, but she survived.
The lawsuit alleges that a 19-year-old woman had been driving the SUV while attempting to exit a parking lot eastbound onto Donnelly Avenue. The parents allege that a large SUV legally parked on the street obstructed the driver’s view of oncoming traffic.
According to the lawsuit, at the same time, an 11-year-old boy was traveling eastbound on Donnelly Avenue on an electric bicycle with his 10-year-old sister. The bicycle allegedly collided with the rear driver’s side door of the SUV, leading the driver to accelerate across the roadway toward Ayden.
The SUV struck Ayden and crashed through the front of the Truffle Poké Bar.
According to a report by National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Bay Area, Ayden suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 6-year-old girl sustained life-threatening injuries and survived.
The civil complaint, filed March 12 in San Mateo County Superior Court, alleges that the crash was the result of a series of preventable failures involving the city, the driver, and the families of the children involved in the collision.
The lawsuit describes Ayden as “a bright, inquisitive, and energetic boy who was kind to others, loved to read, and loved spending time with his toddler brother and parents.” The complaint states that he had recently begun participating in the Burlingame Public Library’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program and had already completed his first 100 books shortly before his death.
According to the filing, Ayden had just begun to explore new interests and milestones typical for a child his age. He had started learning to write and read, swim without a flotation device, ride a bike without training wheels, and sing songs in Spanish.
The lawsuit recounts that just days before the crash, Ayden told his preschool teacher that he hoped to grow up to be “an astronaut, an eye doctor, a dad, and a teacher.”
The complaint also details how Ayden’s parents witnessed the aftermath of the crash firsthand.
According to the filing, the vehicle struck Ayden after accelerating onto the sidewalk and then crashed through the restaurant where his parents were sitting with their younger son. Ayden’s parents rushed to the scene and attempted to help him after discovering him beneath the vehicle.
The lawsuit alleges that the City of Burlingame bears responsibility because officials had long been aware of visibility issues at the driveway where the crash occurred.
According to the complaint, the exit from Parking Lot D onto Donnelly Avenue had a parking space located directly beside the driveway, which blocked the line of sight for drivers attempting to pull into traffic.
The complaint states that the driver reported her view had been obstructed by vehicles parked along the curb near the driveway.
Local businesses had reportedly raised concerns about the driveway prior to the incident. According to the lawsuit, employees and business owners said the exit had long been considered dangerous because drivers often had to “inch” into the roadway in order to see oncoming traffic.
One store employee reportedly said that “as a driver, you need to inch your way out of the driveway just to see if cars are coming. By the time you have inched your way out to see, you find yourself in the middle of the street.”
The complaint further alleges that the city had received numerous service calls related to safety issues on Donnelly Avenue and had already identified the specific parking space as a visibility hazard.
According to the filing, the city had planned to remove the space as part of a street improvement program but did not do so until weeks after the crash.
The lawsuit states that the city began removing the metered parking spot in September 2025, shortly after Ayden’s death.
In addition to the city, the lawsuit names the 19-year-old driver and her parents as defendants, alleging negligent operation of the vehicle and negligent entrustment of the car.
The complaint states the driver had only recently begun driving and had obtained her license months before the crash.
According to the filing, after the initial collision with the e-bike, the driver accelerated the vehicle to approximately 27 miles per hour rather than braking, crossing two lanes of traffic, mounting the curb, and striking Ayden before crashing into the restaurant.
The lawsuit alleges that the driver failed to apply the brakes during the roughly 40 feet the vehicle traveled before striking the child.
The filing also claims the driver violated sections of the California Vehicle Code related to yielding to oncoming traffic and operating a vehicle at a safe speed.
The complaint further names the parents of the 11-year-old e-bike rider, alleging negligent entrustment of a motorized vehicle to a minor.
According to the lawsuit, the Class 2 e-bike involved in the crash was capable of speeds up to 20 miles per hour and was not intended for use by children under the age of 12. The complaint states that the bike’s owner’s manual explicitly lists 12 as the minimum age and prohibits carrying passengers.
The lawsuit alleges that the child rider was carrying his 10-year-old sister on the back of the bike at the time of the crash.
Attorneys for the family argue that allowing an 11-year-old to operate the e-bike on a busy city street posed a foreseeable safety risk to pedestrians and motorists.
According to the complaint, the rider also had time to apply the brakes before colliding with the vehicle but failed to do so.
The lawsuit further argues that the city had failed to regulate the use of high-speed e-bikes by minors on public streets, contributing to unsafe conditions.
According to the filing, Ayden’s death was the third pedestrian fatality in Burlingame within a one-year period and occurred amid broader concerns about pedestrian safety in the city.
The complaint states that although pedestrians and cyclists account for roughly 22 percent of collisions in Burlingame, they represent about half of serious injuries and fatalities.
According to the lawsuit, Ayden’s parents are seeking damages for wrongful death, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent entrustment, and dangerous conditions on public property.
The complaint states the lawsuit was filed both to seek accountability and to improve safety conditions in Burlingame.
Ayden’s parents said the case is also intended to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.
“Our sincere hope in bringing this case is that we will make our community safer for other families,” Fang said in a press release issued by the family’s attorneys.
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