Officer Runs Red Light, Woman Sues

Brunswick, NCBrunswick Sheriff Ronald Hewett and Captain Gene Caison are being sued by a Wilmington woman over a June 2005 car accident in which she was a passenger in the vehicle that collided with the car that Caison was driving.

Pamela Mahoney has alleged that Caison was driving a car belonging to Brunswick County, when he ran a flashing red light on June 24, 2005 at approximately 12:27 a.m.

Roy Bain, the attorney for Mahoney, filed the lawsuit on Friday April 18, 2008 in Brunswick Superior Court that names the county's insurance company, Caison, and Hewett because Hewett was Caison's employer at that particular time. However, Hewett is currently not the Sheriff anymore since he resigned his position after the employees in his office had signed a petition to remove him from his position as Sheriff. Caison had also signed the petition. Hewett is also dealing with some legal issues of his own in the form of an ongoing federal investigation and being indicted on four felonies.

However, Bain says that Mahoney's lawsuit does not allege that any wrongdoing had taken place when the wreck was handled. Bain says that the case is simply a car wreck incident that he hopes can be settled.

The lawsuit says that Mahoney had soft tissue injuries and a broken foot as a result of the accident. It also says that the damages she suffered were in excess of $10,000. That includes lost income, pain and suffering, and medical bills. She also wants her attorney fees reimbursed.

Bain has said that Mahoney was unable to file the lawsuit at an earlier date because of all of the complications she has had medically as a result of the accident. He also said that it took some time to get all of the information organized and put into place. The process is quite complicated in a case like this.

However, the county's insurance company's attorney has been served with the lawsuit and they will be the ones handling the case for the defense.

By: Ginger Gillenwater