California City, Other Defendants Settle Suit Over Girl Killed by SUV

The city of Novato, Calif., and other defendants have settled a lawsuit by the family of a 12-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a SUV while riding her bicycle home from school two years ago.

The Marin Independent Journal reported Tuesday that Novato will pay $320,000 and has assumed no liability in the death of Hailey Ratliff. City officials say all but about $30,000 of that amount will be paid by insurance.

The newspaper says the SUV driver’s employer, along with another defendant, will pay $800,000 as part of the settlement. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, that the SUV driver was speeding.

Ratliff was on her way home from Sinaloa Middle School when she was struck by a rented SUV in Sept. 2012. She died at a hospital.