Injured B.C. woman gets nearly $1M in T-bone accident by cop cruiser

VANCOUVER – A judge has awarded almost $1 million to a Campbell River, B.C., woman whose car was struck by a police cruiser while it raced towards a possible bait-car theft.

Erika Watkins suffered a traumatic brain injury when her car was T-boned as the officer tried to pass her vehicle in the March 2007 accident.

RCMP Const. David Dormuth admitted in court to speeding as much as 30 kilometres per hour over the limit as he rushed to where it was believed a bait vehicle was being stolen.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Murray Blok ruled Dormuth made an “unnecessarily aggressive” move when he tried to overtake the woman’s car.

Blok says the officer could have chosen a less risky option, especially because other police were responding to the incident.

The judge decided the high settlement on the basis thatthe collision caused the 27-year-old woman life-changing and potentially permanent injuries.