Two members of Sonoma County's Thieriot family -- heirs to the San Francisco Chronicle publishing fortune -- are named in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a fatal accident at an off-road race in Mexico last year.
In court papers filed last month, Cameron Thieriot of Petaluma and his 20-year-old son Max, a Hollywood actor, deny any responsibility for the accident.
The suit was brought by the family of a San Diego man who died after his pickup was struck head-on by a support vehicle owned by the Thieriots' Lucky Sperm off-road racing team.
Frederick Reva, 63, was driving southbound near San Quintin in Baja California on Nov. 13, 2007, when the accident occurred, according to the lawsuit.
Reva and a friend, Ray Wakeman, were attending the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, a thousand-mile off-road race that included the Thieriot racing team.
Cameron and Max Thieriot were scheduled to drive in the race, said Tom Laube, the Reva family's attorney.
The Thieriots' support truck, driven by team member Daniel Wreesman, was headed northbound to reach the team's racing vehicle, which had broken down in the desert, according to Laube.
Wreesman was driving too fast and crossed the highway center line, hitting Reva head-on, the lawsuit alleges.
Reva, a semi-retired builder, suffered major injuries and was trapped in his pickup. He died later that day. Wakeman, 61, sustained minor injuries.
The lawsuit filed in August in Sonoma County Superior Court alleges the Thieriots are responsible for Reva's death because they owned the support truck and Wreesman was working for them. The Thieriots were not present at the scene of the accident.
Wreesman was driving in a negligent and reckless manner, according to the lawsuit, which seeks undisclosed damages.
In their formal response filed last month, the Thieriots said Reva was negligent in the accident and they have no liability.
A management conference is scheduled in the case Thursday in Superior Court.
The Thieriots' attorney, Charles Custer, declined to comment Tuesday. Cameron Thieriot also declined to comment when contacted at home.
The Gersh Agency, a Beverly Hills talent agency that represents Max Thieriot, didn't return a call for comment.
Max Thieriot has appeared in six films, including "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," which was released earlier this year. He also has appeared in "Nancy Drew," "Jumper," "The Pacifier" and "Catch That Kid."
The Thieriots are descendants of M.H. de Young, who founded The Chronicle in 1865. The family sold the newspaper in 1999 to the Hearst Corp. for a reported $660 million.
You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.
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