Boise County deputy was in 2 U-turn crashes in 2 years. Jury award in first: $4.8 million
The jury calculated the economic damages owed to Chellus Dawn Towell -- who flew off the back of her husband's Harley-Davidson and landed on her head -- at more than
But Towell, now 47, will receive only a fraction of that, and not just because her husband, Douglas, 57, was found to be "50 percent" at fault. State law caps judgments against public agencies at
Attorneys for the county's insurer, the
The final judgment in the case has not been entered, but the judge is bound by the jury verdict unless there are extraordinary circumstances, Strong said.
Deputy
Lee was cited for a traffic infraction in the 2014 crash but he was acquitted. Towell's mother filed a civil suit. The suit alleged that Lee was negligent in his execution of the U-turn, stopping suddenly and not activating a turn signal or lights/sirens until after the turn.
The crash happened on
Lee was driving a sheriff's 2004 Ford Explorer south on the highway, investigators said. Douglas and Chellus Towell, who were returning home to
On the hill just past the
The Towells contend that Lee stopped suddenly and turned with no warning, forcing
"It just happened so quick. It was like no one had a chance to do anything," witness
Chellus Towell's injuries included broken bones in her face and head, brain hemorrhages, finger and hand injuries, and right-side paralysis, according to court records. She's had to relearn how to eat, walk, bathe and talk, and will need care the rest of her life, her mother said in an affidavit.
Lee's second U-turn crash happened in
Lee's SUV was struck by a 2010 Ford Escape driven by
Lee was cited with a traffic infraction for allegedly violating a state law that requires drivers to make U-turns "safely and without interfering with other traffic."
He was accused of turning his vehicle around "in the area of
He did not appear in court for the infraction, court records show. He was fined
The Statesman was unable to find any civil suits filed by or on behalf of Kaiser.
Because ICRMP is expected to cover the judgment for the 2014 crash,
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