City will pay $100K to settle claims after two St. Paul officers crash while looking at laptops

Sep. 3--Two St. Paul police officers who crashed their squad cars responding to emergency calls recently cost the city more than $100,000 to settle insurance claims.

In both cases, the officers were looking at information on their squad laptops, according to department documents. Police noted in reports that the officers' distracted driving was a contributing factor to the crashes.

While it's against state law for drivers to read or send messages while driving, that doesn't apply to police officers working in their official capacity. And Minnesota's new hands-free cell phone law includes an exemption for officers who are "in an authorized emergency vehicle while in the performance of official duties."

"Unfortunately, there are circumstances in which emergency vehicle drivers need to be on their devices to carry out their duties," said Lt. Gordon Shank, Minnesota State Patrol spokesman. "Although this is different than situations other drivers find themselves in, the dangers are the same. We're well aware of those dangers from a law enforcement perspective and are encouraging people to follow the law regardless of whether they have an exemption."

PIZZA PLACE CLOSED AFTER CRASH

One of the St. Paul crashes "played a big role" in the closing of Mr. Pete's Pizza at Maryland Avenue and Arcade Street, said Alex Aqel, who owned the restaurant.

On Dec. 4, 2017, Officer Sam Keller went through a red light while responding to a domestic disturbance at 4:15 a.m. He tried to avoid a pickup truck, but they collided. The squad also spun around and struck another vehicle.

The pickup truck crashed into Mr. Pete's Pizza, causing heavy structural damage to the building, according to a police report.

Keller reported he was looking down at his squad laptop to get information related to the call, the report said.

The St. Paul City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $86,904 to settle a claim from the insurance company for Arcade & Maryland Development LLC, which owns the building.

Aqel said he received about $14,000 from his insurance company when construction was underway after the crash, but overall he lost a great deal of money from his investments in the business.

"I think it's unfair," said Aqel, who now has a restaurant management job. "I'm the one who paid the price in the end. I'm the one who had to leave."

POLICE DEPARTMENT: 'SAFETY IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY'

As public safety agencies emphasize the dangers of distracted driving, some departments "have taken a proactive approach to reduce or eliminate hand-held phone use," Shank said. "For example, the Minnesota State Patrol instituted a policy requiring troopers to use their phones only in hands-free mode prior to the law taking effect."

St. Paul police also instructs its officers to use cell phones hands-free when they're driving in non-emergency situations.

"Officers do use their squad computers in their official capacities, but public safety is our first priority," said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman. "We want our officers performing their duties effectively, but we want them and the community around them to be safe."

The other payment approved by council members last week was $15,794 to a driver's insurance company. St. Paul is self-insured for liability claims.

On Nov. 25, 2018, at 1:45 p.m., Officer Donald Chouinard was responding to a call about a suspicious male looking into a home's windows. He was on Maryland Avenue, between Cypress and Earl streets, when he checked the comments about the call on his squad laptop, according to a police report.

Chouinard reported "he looked up at the last second and couldn't stop" before he rear-ended a vehicle that was waiting for a red light to change, the report continued.

The St. Paul police department's accident-review board deemed both his and Keller's crashes preventable due to inattentive driving and each officer received an oral reprimand.

___

(c)2019 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)

Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at www.twincities.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.