A wrongful death jury trial opened Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at San Mateo County Superior Court in South San Francisco, nearly four years after an illegal street race on El Camino Real killed two San Carlos parents and left their twin daughters orphaned.
The family of Grace Spiridon, 42, and Gregory Ammen, 44, delivered opening statements against convicted racer Cesar Morales, his parents, and the estate of Kyle Harrison, the Almanac reported.
Spiridon and Ammen were driving on El Camino Real near Finger Avenue in Redwood City on Nov. 4, 2022, when their vehicle was struck during what authorities said was a race between Morales, then 17, and Harrison. The couple's twin daughters, seven at the time, were in the car and survived after witnessing their parents' deaths.
Criminal case drew criticism
Morales was convicted in juvenile court of two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and three counts of engaging in a street race causing great bodily injury. A judge sentenced him in January 2025 to 90 days of electronic home monitoring and up to a year of probation. He had already served nearly two years in jail before his release to home monitoring.
Harrison was convicted of two counts of vehicular manslaughter and felony street racing and received an eight-year prison sentence in February 2025. He died in custody in March 2025 at the Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City. The San Mateo County Coroner's Office determined his death was caused by an accidental overdose of methadone, amitriptyline and gabapentin.
Family seeks accountability
For nearly four years, Spiridon's sister, Liza Spiridon, and her husband have raised the twin girls while pursuing the civil case.
"Our focus has always been these two children," Liza Spiridon said in a press release tied to the trial's opening. "Nothing can replace Grace and Greg, but we continue this journey because accountability matters and because these children deserve every opportunity for a secure future."
Spiridon and Ammen met in middle school and became a couple in high school, according to family members. They reconnected after college and settled in San Carlos. Ammen worked as an audio engineer at Dolby Laboratories, and Spiridon served as head of new service introduction at Google.
The family said it hopes the case will draw attention to the dangers of illegal street racing on El Camino Real, a corridor that runs through multiple San Mateo County cities. Margaret Petros, executive director of Los Altos-based nonprofit Mothers Against Murder, said her organization is supporting the family through the trial.
No timeline for a verdict has been announced. The civil case names Harrison's estate and Morales and his parents as defendants.
