FALLBROOK — Authorities have identified a man who died after he was run over by a car while lying in a parking lot outside of Stepping Stone Resources, an adult special needs facility in Fallbrook.
Ryan Radabaugh, 53, of Oceanside, was lying in the parking lot outside of the building at 842 South Main Avenue when he was run over by a car around 9 a.m. on July 23. The 23-year-old driver said he did not see Radabaugh lying there, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The car was traveling around 5 mph at the time. Radabaugh was transported to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
The circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation, according to CHP. However, records from the California Department of Social Services show that the agency received a complaint about a different client lying in the Stepping Stone parking lot in July of last year, resulting in an investigation.
The July 2025 complaint from a member of the public claimed that staff did not provide adequate support to a client in their care, after the individual saw a client lying in the parking lot with no apparent supervision.
DSS staff visited Stepping Stones in January to investigate the complaint and determined the claim of inadequate supervision was unsubstantiated, according to a complaint investigation report.
“Although the allegation may have happened or is valid, there is no preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violations did or did not occur; therefore, the allegation is unsubstantiated,” the report states.
The report says that a DSS licensed program advisor spoke with Stepping Stones administrator Elijah Munoz, who confirmed that one of the clients enjoys lying on the pavement outside but is always supervised by staff.
Munoz told DSS that the gates to the facility parking lot are open briefly in the morning for program drop-off, during which time all clients are inside the building. After that, he said the parking lot gates are closed from 9 a.m. until around 2 p.m. to ensure the safety of clients who are outside.
Munoz told DSS that only authorized vehicles, including those of employees and placement and licensing agencies, may enter the parking lot from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and “only after all clients on or near the parking lot are escorted into the day program building.”
There are also signs on the facility gate stating that all other vehicles must wait outside the gate and contact a staff member to gain access, per the report.
It is not confirmed that the client referenced in the DSS report is Radabaugh. The DSS report states that the client “has limited safety safety skills and requires close supervision to ensure their safety at home and in the community.”
“The crash and previous complaints are all still under investigation,” said CHP Officer Jeffrey Pedersen.
The Coast News reached out to DSS about the investigations and the past complaint about the facility.
“The Department is conducting an investigation of the facility and cannot comment on ongoing investigations,” DSS spokesperson Jason Montiel said.
Stepping Stone Resources did not respond to a request for comment from The Coast News.
