A 21-year-old athlete was struck and killed after being left on the side of a busy highway by his Uber driver, according to a lawsuit in California.

The man's parents, who filed the lawsuit, accuse the rideshare company of negligence and wrongful death.

A spokesperson for Uber declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Cory Hunter was traveling in an Uber with five other passengers on Highway 91 in Corona, California, approximately 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, around 2:30 a.m. on May 21, according to the lawsuit.

The vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder, and Hunter, who had fallen asleep in the car, was awakened by other passengers and told to get out to allow someone to vomit, the lawsuit states.

After exiting the vehicle, Hunter did not get back in. The Uber driver then drove away without Hunter, "essentially leaving a completely disoriented individual on the side of a busy highway, knowingly endangering" Hunter, the lawsuit says.

Shortly before 3 a.m., Hunter was struck by a vehicle, the lawsuit says. Hunter was walking in the fast lane when he was hit by a Toyota Corolla, according to the California Highway Patrol as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News.

The driver stopped to help and was not investigated for a crime, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol said. Theida Salazar, attorney for the Uber driver, argues that his client returned to the area where Hunter had exited the vehicle to try to look for him but couldn't find him.

When his client learned that Hunter had died, he was deeply affected, but, according to Salazar, he did everything he could under the circumstances. "It's a tragic incident, it's a loss of life," he said. "My client is a father, a brother, a son. He's passionate about his community and has a lot of compassion for other people. It's not something he takes lightly."

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of over $25,000.