Cuyama Joint Union School District

Santa Barbara, CA: (Aug-29-07) The family of Marie Crook, an Arroyo Grande woman who died of injuries suffered in a vehicle collision in 2006, filed wrongful death charges against the Cuyama Joint Union School District and Cuyama Valley High School Principal Donald Wilson. The suit alleged wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage from the Sept. 28, 2006, crash that caused fatal injuries to Crook. The suit was filed January 5, 2007 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria. The crash occurred as Wilson, 49, was driving a Chrysler Town and Country minivan east on Highway 166, heading back from a school trip with Cuyama Valley High School students, who were following in a separate vehicle. For undetermined reasons, Wilson's vehicle drifted into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by James Crook. The Crooks were returning from Laughlin, NV, where they celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. The suit claimed that James Crook, 75, at the time, also suffered major injuries in the crash.

The lawsuit sought damages for both the death of Marie Crook and injuries suffered by James Crook. Plaintiffs in the matter included James Crook and the couple's 11 children. In a settlement reached, the civil lawsuit was resolved with a $1.5 million payout. In addition to a $1.4 million settlement with the school district, the Crooks received a $100,000 settlement from Wilson's life insurance policy earlier in the case process. [SANTA MARIA TIMES: MINIVAN CRASH]

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Published on Aug-30-07