Post by WaTcHeR on May 5, 2006 9:20:47 GMT -5
05/05/2006 - A Fort Worth police officer was reaching for a pair of sunglasses in the floorboard of his cruiser when he was involved in a head-on collision that resulted in the death of an infant, a report released Thursday states.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department accident report does not cite officer Christopher Fearneyhough with any traffic offenses in connection with the April 12 wreck, which occurred in the 12200 block of Old Granbury Road.
However, Sheriff Dee Anderson said such citations were not a part of the report because the Tarrant County district attorney’s office plans to take the case before a grand jury.
The wreck injured 17-year-old Laura Navarro of Euless, a passenger in the car who was seven months pregnant. Her baby was delivered that day and died two days later, the report states.
The 10-page report lists Fearneyhough’s failure to keep his patrol car in a single lane and distraction as contributing factors.
“It was very clear-cut, what happened,” Anderson said.
Aida Navarro, Laura Navarro’s mother and the driver of the Mercury, was issued a citation for not having insurance and for having an unrestrained child under age 2 in the car.
Last month, the Navarro family filed a claim with the city of Fort Worth seeking at least $10 million for medical bills, lost wages and personal injuries.
The Navarros’ claim is not a lawsuit and the family’s lawyer, Domingo Garcia, did not say whether the family intends to sue the city if the request is not met. He was unavailable for comment Thursday.
The report states that Fearneyhough was on his way home to get some equipment when the wreck occurred. He suffered a broken arm.
If a grand jury does not find that the officer should be charged with a crime, the Sheriff’s Department could issue traffic citations, Anderson said.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department accident report does not cite officer Christopher Fearneyhough with any traffic offenses in connection with the April 12 wreck, which occurred in the 12200 block of Old Granbury Road.
However, Sheriff Dee Anderson said such citations were not a part of the report because the Tarrant County district attorney’s office plans to take the case before a grand jury.
The wreck injured 17-year-old Laura Navarro of Euless, a passenger in the car who was seven months pregnant. Her baby was delivered that day and died two days later, the report states.
The 10-page report lists Fearneyhough’s failure to keep his patrol car in a single lane and distraction as contributing factors.
“It was very clear-cut, what happened,” Anderson said.
Aida Navarro, Laura Navarro’s mother and the driver of the Mercury, was issued a citation for not having insurance and for having an unrestrained child under age 2 in the car.
Last month, the Navarro family filed a claim with the city of Fort Worth seeking at least $10 million for medical bills, lost wages and personal injuries.
The Navarros’ claim is not a lawsuit and the family’s lawyer, Domingo Garcia, did not say whether the family intends to sue the city if the request is not met. He was unavailable for comment Thursday.
The report states that Fearneyhough was on his way home to get some equipment when the wreck occurred. He suffered a broken arm.
If a grand jury does not find that the officer should be charged with a crime, the Sheriff’s Department could issue traffic citations, Anderson said.