Woman Who Was Handcuffed Inside Police Car When It Was Struck by Train Receives $8.5M Settlement
"Our client continues to heal but is happy to move on to a new chapter in her life," the woman's attorney said in a statement
Fort Lupton Police Department via AP
Scene from the police vehicle-train collision in Fort Lupton, Colorado, on Sept. 16, 2022A woman who was seriously injured after a police car she was detained in was struck by a train in 2022 will receive a multi-million dollar settlement.
Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was awarded $8.5 million following her lawsuit against the cities of Platteville and Fort Lupton, per The Washington Post, CBS affiliate KCNC, Fox affiliate KDVR and Colorado Public Radio.
“This was an excellent result for our client considering the very small municipalities involved and limited insurance available," Paul Wilkinson, Rios-Gonzalez’ attorney, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "Our client continues to heal but is happy to move on to a new chapter in her life.”
According to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Sgt. Pablo Cesar Vazquez of the Platteville Police Department, who was responding to a reported road-rage incident involving a firearm on Sept. 16, 2022. Rios-Gonzalez parked her car on Weld County Road 36 facing east, after clearing the railroad tracks, while Vazquez stopped behind Rios' car “directly on top of the railroad tracks.”
Police Officers Jordan Steinke and Ryan Thomeczek of the Fort Lupton Police Department shortly arrived to assist Vazquez in the traffic stop, per the complaint.
Related: Colo. Authorities Release Video of the Moment a Train Hits Patrol Car with Handcuffed Woman Inside
The court document stated that after being ordered out of her car, Rios-Gonzalez was left "handcuffed" inside the vehicle parked on the tracks while the officers performed a search of her car.
Then a Union Pacific Cargo train arrived and hit the police vehicle, per the complaint, which stated that the struck vehicle rolled twice and traveled about a half-mile northeast.
WELD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT
Scene from a crash in Fort Lupton, Colorado, on Sept. 16, 2022, involving a police car and a train“As a direct, foreseeable, and proximate result of the September 16, 2022 collision, Plaintiff suffered serious injuries, damages, harms, and losses,” read the complaint.
The complaint added that at the time of the traffic stop, there were red stop signs and railroad white crossing signs along with a blue emergency notification sign that “had the phone number Defendants could have called to notify Union Pacific Railroad that there was police activity on the railroad tracks.”
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Following the crash, Vazquez and Steinke were terminated from their respective police departments and charged.
Vazquez pleaded guilty to a count of reckless endangerment and was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation, per KDVR and the Associated Press. Steinke, who put Rios-Gonzalez inside the car, was found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault and received supervised probation of 30 months.
At her sentencing hearing, Steinke was visibly emotional as she apologized and said, “what happened that night has haunted me,” per The Washington Post.
Platteville Police Chief Carl Dwyer told PEOPLE in a statement that "in consultation with its insurer, the Town of Platteville has decided to settle its claims with Ms. Rios-Gonzalez."
"Platteville’s share of the settlement will be paid by its insurance carrier. This decision was in the best interests of the Town and its citizens given the cost, risk, and expenses of further litigating the case," Dwyer added. "The Town apologizes...for what occurred to her in September 2022 and the Department remains committed to providing the best service possible for all who reside, visit and travel through our community.”
Speaking with Colorado Public Radio Eric Ziporin, the attorney for the Fort Lupton Police Department — who did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment — said the settlement will be "split 50/50 between the City of Fort Lupton and the Town of Platteville."
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