Skip to content Skip to Content

Saginaw settles lawsuits for $2 million in connection with 2016 crash

By Terry Camp

Click here for updates on this story

    SAGINAW, Michigan (WJRT) — The city of Saginaw and its insurance company have settled lawsuits filed by the estates of two people killed in a car crash.

The crash happened nearly eight years ago in Carrollton Township.

The claim by the family was that police negligence caused the drunk driving deaths.

In the end four Saginaw Police officers were named in the lawsuits. Only two remain with department at this time.

The Saginaw officers had interaction with this family shortly before the car crash. The city settled the lawsuits for $2 million.

The crash happened on June 24th, 2016. A Malibu crashed into a tree. 30 year old Lindsey Drake died, along with her four month old daughter Amiliana.

Driving the car was Rodolfo Sanchez, who was convicted of driving drunk, causing the deaths of his girlfriend and daughter, and was sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison.

About seven minutes before the crash, body camera video shows how Saginaw Police officers came upon their car parked along Michigan Avenue.

Sanchez had no shirt on and they told the officers they had been at a party, a fight had broke, so they left. The officers spoke with them for about eight minutes.

“You guys are all cool together? Go ahead and go home,” an officer can be heard telling the family.

“They ordered these individuals go on their way, without checking to see whether or not anybody in that vehicle was capable of operating it,” attorney Aaron Martinez told us in an interview last year.

About seven minutes later, the accident happened in Carrollton Township.

Investigators say Sanchez blood alcohol level was at .20, above the super-drunk level of .17.

The estates of Drake and her child filed federal lawsuits against the city and the five officers. One of those officers was eventually dropped from the lawsuits.

ABC 12 News has learned the lawsuits were settled late last year, with $1 million going to the Drake estate and $1 million going to the Sanchez estate, a total of $2,000,000.

The Saginaw City Council approved the settlements.

The attorney representing the Drake estate, Mike Nichols, says, “It was a tragedy. Bringing this case to the courtroom brought to light what happened. Now, the survivors of Lindsey and Amiliana can at least feel ‘seen.’ The conduct of the officers and the response by the powers-at-be at the police department made the family feel invisible because they’re poor.”

Saginaw City Manager Tim Morales and Police Chief Bob Ruth had no comment on the settlements.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.