SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Family members seeking justice for Connor Lopez, a beloved piano teacher and musician from Galt, gathered at the county courthouse Dec. 15 for the first hearing in eight months related to his death.

Lopez, 23 at the time of his passing, was killed in a crash in April 2025. He was riding his motorcycle eastbound on Sheldon Road when an SUV from the oncoming lane made a left turn and collided with him.

The driver, Harjit Kaur, is charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in connection with the crash. In court, Judge Jerome Price outlined the charge, alleging that Kaur caused Lopez’s death while driving unlawfully but without gross negligence.

Members of the Lopez-Lyman family attended Kaur’s arraignment, which was brief and focused on setting a future court date. Kaur did not appear in person and was represented by her attorney, Hendrick Crowell, drawing frustration from family and supporters.

During the hearing, a deputy district attorney requested, at the family’s urging, that Kaur be required to appear in person at the next court date scheduled for Feb. 25. Price said that because Kaur faces a misdemeanor charge, she is not required to appear unless future proceedings warrant it.

Lopez’s mother, Allison Lyman, told the Elk Grove Citizen outside the courthouse that she and her family were discouraged by the driver’s absence.

“It’s been a long time,” Lyman said. “We thought she’d be here… it’s just another layer of hurt and pain, and honestly, disgust.”

She said appearing in court, facing just a “little discomfort” as a way of holding Kaur accountable, was what the family had hoped for, especially as they prepare for the possibility that Kaur could avoid jail time through a diversion program.

“I don’t have any hope or optimism. We have to be prepared for a diversion program,” Lyman said.

Under Assembly Bill 3234, passed in 2020, drivers charged with misdemeanor offenses such as driving under the influence or vehicular manslaughter can have charges dismissed if they complete certain program requirements.

The Lopez-Lyman family maintains that a fatality caused by unlawful driving should not be wiped from a driver’s record, especially, they said, with evidence such as witness testimonies that prove reckless driving.

“She turned onto oncoming traffic, right in front of everyone,” said John Lyman, Lopez’s stepfather.

Although this was the first court hearing since the crash, the family has been actively raising awareness about diversion laws. Their advocacy led them to the Capitol for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Nov. 16, 2025, and to receiving more than 10,000 signatures for their petition “Keep Killers Off Our Roads.”

Lyman said she has also reached out to local elected representatives to push for changes to the law but has seen little action so far.

“We really feel that this is an issue on our roads, as well as others,” she said. “And they nod and they sympathize, and many of them acknowledge the problem, but not one has agreed to make a bill to change the law.”

“You know, driving is a privilege, not a right. And if you take a life due to negligence and recklessness, there should be consequences,” Lyman added.

Read the Elk Grove Citizen’s earlier coverage honoring Connor Lopez’s life and his family’s call for change, “Life of Kindness, Call for Change,” at bit.ly/3Yh24HC.