A 74-year-old Oregon man enjoying a midday ride on his Vespa scooter was mowed down and killed by a “distracted” Instacart driver who was “focusing her attention” on her cellphone and the grocery delivery app instead of the road, according to a lawsuit. The man’s estate was awarded $16 million in damages last week by a local jury, which ordered Instacart to pay following a five-day trial.
The driver, Melina Torres, “was not familiar with the area where she was driving and was utilizing her cellphone to provide directions on where to make the delivery” to an Instacart customer when she attempted to make a left turn at an intersection and struck Peter Pellegrin, of Multnomah County, as he was crossing through the intersection from the other direction, his estate’s legal complaint says.
The fatal crash unfolded in Portland’s Arnold Creek neighborhood on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, around 1:45 p.m., according to police. Both Torres and Instacart were sued by Pellegrin’s estate, including his wife…