Lawsuit against former Anniston police officer goes to trial next month

Oct. 29--A former Anniston police officer is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 16 for lawsuit stemming from an accident that severely injured an 84-year-old man in 2012.

William Curry was flown to UAB Hospital in February 2012 after Thomas Anthony Gassaway's Ford Crown Victoria patrol car collided with Curry's 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, according to Star reports from that time. Curry died two months later in a Jacksonville nursing home, according to his death certificate.

Curry was travelling westbound on Sixth Street when he crossed the northbound lanes of Quintard Avenue into the southbound lanes, police officials said in 2012. Gassaway's vehicle struck Curry's on the passenger side in the southbound lanes of Quintard.

Curry suffered severe brain trauma, multiple broken ribs and bruises, according to a lawsuit filed 21 days after the crash by his wife, Louise Curry. Curry alleges Gassaway "negligently and wantonly operated" his vehicle. The suit also alleges Gassaway was travelling at a high speed in pursuit of another vehicle and failed to turn on his lights or his siren at the time of the wreck.

Gassaway resigned from the Police Department In July 2013. Attempts to reach his defense attorney for the case, David Stubbs, were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Anniston police chief Shane Denham could not recall Wednesday any procedural changes as a result of the accident.

"There probably weren't any changes made to how we operate our vehicles," he said in a phone interview.

Denham declined to comment further on the case citing a city policy of not commenting on current litigation.

When the original lawsuit was filed, Louise Curry asked for $10 million in damages from Gassaway and the city of Anniston. In March of 2012, an amended complaint was filed to include Alfa Insurance for failing to pay out the policy the Currys had on their car.

Efforts to reach William Hardegree, Curry's lawyer, were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Curry was moved from UAB to the Nolan Hospital in Anniston for "long-term care," according to the lawsuit. Curry died April 20, 2012 in Jacksonville Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home, according to his death certificate. The cause of death was listed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and was considered a natural death according to the certificate.

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