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.
The Paul Wilkinson Law Firm, on behalf of Evans resident Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, sued in January of last year the Platteville Police Department, Platteville Police Sgt. Pablo Vazquez, the Fort Lupton Police Department, Fort Lupton Police Officer Jordan Steinke, and Fort Lupton Police Officer Ryan Thomeczek.
Attorneys for the plaintiff told Denver7 that the towns of Platteville and Fort Lupton agreed to settle the lawsuit, including the named officers, for $8.5 million. Each town will split the cost of the payout under a single insurance policy, according to attorneys for the two towns.
“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.
The lawsuit stems from the Sept. 16, 2022 arrest of Rios-Gonzalez for an alleged road rage incident involving a firearm in Fort Lupton earlier that evening.
Body camera video obtained by Denver7 showed that two officers pulled up behind her vehicle just off U.S. 85 near Weld County Road 36. Rios-Gonzalez pulled to a stop just past the railroad tracks. One of the officers stopped his vehicle directly on the train tracks.
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.
The train hit the car, severely injuring Rios-Gonzalez. She was hospitalized for over a week. Officers involved in the incident left the scene before providing their information to investigators, the lawsuit alleges.
Wilkinson said Rios-Gonzalez tried to escape from the vehicle, but it was locked. She also saw the train from a good distance off, he said and was yelling at the officers and trying to get their attention before the train hit the car.
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.
Steinke, who was accused of putting Rios-Gonzalez into the vehicle, was convicted of criminal attempt to commit manslaughter, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment. She was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service.
Stine said Rios-Gonzalez is still contending with injuries and the psychological trauma of the incident but is doing well all things considered.
