Estate of Cedar Rapids worker killed in police chase seeks wrongful death settlement

April 27--CEDAR RAPIDS -- The estate of a Cedar Rapids employee who died last year in a motor vehicle accident involving a man accused of fleeing police while high on methamphetamines has reached a tentative $100,000 wrongful death settlement, according to city documents.

The settlement is between the estate of Stephen J. Cook, 35, who worked in the water division and was a volunteer firefighter in Palo, and the driver of the other vehicle. Cook died April 18, 2015.

The day before, Cook was working at the intersection of 16th Avenue and Ninth Street NW. The other vehicle allegedly blew through a stop sign during a short police chase and struck Cook's work van. Cook was ejected.

The Cedar Rapids City Council voted to consent to the settlement during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

The consent allows the estate to resolve a wrongful death claim against the other vehicle owner and allows for the vehicle owner's insurance company to pay the limit of $100,000 to Cook's estate, according to city documents. Under the Iowa Workers' Compensation law, the city of Cedar Rapids could be compensated out of any settlement, so the settlement was conditioned upon the city's consent, according to city documents.

Cedar Rapids also is paying workers' compensation benefits.

The other driver, Lawson S. Chadwick, 47, is accused of running a stop sign while leading police on a short chase and striking Cook's vehicle. Chadwick has been charged with homicide by vehicle while under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamine as a habitual offender, homicide by vehicle while attempting to elude as a habitual offender and homicide by vehicle by reckless driving as a habitual offender.

His trial is underway.

Other items before council included:

--$1.4 million to convert the one-way Seventh Street SE to two-ways from Fourth Avenue SE to 12th Avenue SE.

--The board formally agreed to begin soliciting private development bids for the historic but rundown Knutson Building and two adjacent parcels, at 525, 529 and 533 Valor Way SW. Cedar Rapids bought the properties after the 2008 flood.

--Cedar Rapids Police Department Firearms Range was given a green light for a second phase of improvements. This includes enhancing safety and capacity of the range by regrading range berms, rebuilding two 10-bay, 50-yard pistol ranges and constructing bullet traps at each. The project is valued at $754,000 and would be constructed later 2016. Law enforcement agencies also involved in the project include Coralville, Iowa City, Johnson County, U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI.

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