DENVER — A woman who was handcuffed and left inside a patrol car that was struck by a train in Weld County was awarded $8.5 million after both sides settled a lawsuit filed last year, attorneys announced Tuesday.
“I believe this is an excellent result for Ms. Rios, especially when faced with the proposition of a lawsuit against two small towns with limited resources. We’re proud of her and we’re proud of the work we’ve done. Overall this is an excellent result for her based on the circumstances,” said Jonathan Stine, a partner in the Wilkinson Law Firm.
She was handcuffed and placed in the back of Vazquez's police car parked on railroad tracks. While officers searched her vehicle, a train approached. Despite the train's horn, the officers did not move the police car, according to the lawsuit. Vazquez was charged with five counts of reckless endangerment, careless driving, and obstruction. He pleaded guilty in December to one count of reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to a 12-month unsupervised deferred judgment and sentence.