Court: Family Can Sue in Vermont Trooper’s Death

The family of Vermont State Police Sgt. Michael Johnson can sue the state’s insurance company for as much as $11 million in connection with Johnson’s death during a 2003 car chase.

That’s the upshot of a ruling from the Vermont Supreme Court, in a case in which Johnson’s estate sued the Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania.

Johnson was killed when he was struck by a car driven by Eric Daley, then 23, of Lebanon, N.H., after Johnson laid a spike strip in Interstate 91 to try to stop Daley from fleeing police.

Daley later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter several drug charges and got a 26- to 33-year sentence.