Kentucky Jury Awards $5.14 Million in Fatal Wreck with Deputy

A southeastern Kentucky jury awarded $5.14 million to a man whose wife and daughter were killed in a wreck with a sheriff’s deputy.

Jurors in McCreary County handed down the verdict last week in a lawsuit against former McCreary County Sheriff’s deputy Jeremy Thompson. The jury found Thompson 70 percent at fault for the August 2003 collision that killed 28-year-old Alice Rose and her 10-year-old daughter, Ashley, on U.S. 27.

The county owned the police involved, so its insurance company will be liable, said Gary Crabtree, a London attorney who represented the family.

Jurors found Alice Rose, who pulled into the deputy’s path, 30 percent responsible for the wreck.

Reconstruction experts estimated Thompson was traveling 90 to 95 mph when he hit the Roses’ car in a 45-mph zone. There also was evidence that a dispatcher had canceled the emergency call before the crash, Crabtree said.

Rose’s husband, Charles Rose Sr., was badly injured and her son, Charles Axl Rose, also was hurt.

Most of the jury’s award was to Charles Rose Sr. and his son for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost future wages and loss of companionship.

Thompson also was hurt and did not return to duty. His attorney was not available for comment.

Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader,
http://www.kentucky.com