Parents Awarded $40 Million in 2026 After Daughter Was Killed When Uber Driver Left Her on a California Freeway in 2023

Carol Normandin and Ken Parker have been awarded $40 million following the death of their 23-year-old daughter, Emily Normandin-Parker, who was struck and killed after an Uber driver left her on a Southern California freeway in 2023.

The parents of Emily Normandin-Parker are speaking publicly three years after their daughter was killed after an Uber driver left her on the side of a freeway.

Normandin and Parker were awarded $40 million in July following a five-day arbitration held in March, according to a resolution notice reviewed by PEOPLE.

The couple spoke with Good Morning America on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, after their attorneys at Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP said Uber had filed a motion and ex parte application that they described as an effort to “compel their silence.”

Emily Normandin-Parker Was Killed After Uber Ride in 2023

The case stems from an incident on Aug. 12, 2023, when Normandin-Parker and her friend, Luna Moore, requested an Uber after a night out.

According to the arbitration decision, both women were intoxicated during the ride. The document states that Moore was intoxicated to the point of vomiting on herself and her surroundings.

The Uber driver subsequently pulled over on State Route 73 at a gore point — an elongated triangular area where lanes diverge or a ramp merges with a roadway.

According to the arbitration, the driver and Moore argued for several minutes about a cleaning fee. The document states that the driver knew Normandin-Parker had exited the vehicle but did not show concern about her whereabouts.

The arbitration characterized the driver as being more concerned about his vehicle than his passengers.

Emily Normandin-Parker Was Struck and Killed on the Freeway

According to the arbitration, Normandin-Parker wandered into traffic on the 73 Freeway and was struck and killed.

The decision also referenced GPS data that showed the driver leaving the area and passing near Normandin-Parker's body before exiting the freeway.

According to the arbitration, the driver then contacted Uber and sought to recover the cleaning fee following the dispute with Moore.

The findings formed part of the basis for the $40 million award to Normandin-Parker's parents.

Parents Say They Trusted Uber to Get Their Daughter Home Safely

During their interview with Good Morning America, Normandin and Parker were asked whether they believed Uber had put profits ahead of their daughter's safety.

Both parents answered, “absolutely.”

“Emily did everything Uber tells riders to do—she made the responsible choice not to drive and we trusted Uber to get her home safely. That trust cost our daughter her life,” the couple said in a statement included in their attorneys' Sept. 17 press release.

The family has also criticized the circumstances surrounding their daughter's death and has advocated for stronger safety protections for rideshare passengers.

Uber Responds to $40 Million Arbitration Award

Uber confirmed to PEOPLE that the driver involved in the incident no longer has access to the Uber platform.

“No family should have to suffer the loss of a child, and our thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family,” Uber said in a statement.

The company also said that while it respected the arbitration process, it believed the arbitrator was wrong to hold Uber legally responsible for the events that occurred that night.

Uber said it has strengthened its safety measures over the years through additional technology, policies and safeguards. The company also said it has provided drivers with additional guidance about avoiding passenger drop-offs in unsafe locations.

“Our work on safety is never finished, and we will continue looking for ways to help make the platform safer,” Uber said.

Emily Normandin-Parker Remembered by Her Parents

During their interview, Normandin and Parker also remembered their daughter beyond the circumstances of her death.

“Her laugh was contagious,” Carol Normandin said.

Parker recalled that his daughter would laugh and “snort,” before describing her as funny and talented.

“And she was funny, and she could sing. Oh my god. Could she sing?” he said.

Following Normandin-Parker's death, her family established the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to honor her memory and advocate for stronger rideshare safety protections, according to the family's attorneys.

The family said it plans to use proceeds from the case to support the foundation and its work.

SOURCE: People.com