Her Story
She was stolen from us all.
We honor her memory by living like her — advocating, adventurous, and curious.
Emily Normandin-Parker · 2000–2023
Emily was a shining light of love, empathy, and kindness.
Emily, a 2022 UCLA graduate, was killed by an Uber driver just before 1:00 a.m. on August 12, 2023. After a night out at a club dancing in Costa Mesa, California, Emily and her friend, Luna Moore, did the responsible thing – they did not drink and drive and called an Uber to get home. During their short drive toward home, Moore became sick, and Uber driver Vu Tran was angry when she vomited in his car. Instead of exiting the freeway, he pulled onto an extremely dangerous point that separates the high-speed southbound MacArthur exit ramp and the CA SR 73 freeway. Driver Tran then ordered both women out of the car, and he demanded immediate payment of a cleaning fee on the roadway. As Tran was arguing with Moore, Emily was struck and killed by passing traffic.
In an arbitration hearing, retired Judge Richard A. Stone found that the Uber driver failed to properly care for his two intoxicated passengers, resulting in Emily’s death. Judge Stone also found that Uber Technologies, Inc. is liable for the Uber driver’s actions.
In the ruling, Judge Stone said Uber driver “Tran showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers…To make matters worse, Tran then abandoned those two young women, whom he knew to be intoxicated and whom he had kicked out of his car in his anger over what had transpired . . .”
In her name, we carry her work forward. We seek accountability and transparency in the ride-hailing industry, attending hearings and trials.