$1.82M awarded in pothole mishap

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Department of Transportation will pay $1.82 million to the family of an East Palestine woman, who died when a truck hit a large pothole and collided head-on with the car she was driving.

After finding that the pothole caused the accident, the Ohio Court of Claims made the award to the family of Pauline Miller, 48, who died at the scene of the March 2008 crash on state Route 165 in Unity Township, Columbiana County.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the truck driver lost control after hitting the pothole and went left of center before the collision.

The court originally had awarded $3.3 million in damages in April, but reduced the award by the amount of collateral benefits, including lawyer fees and case expenses, already received by the family.

The Court of Claims, based in Columbus, has jurisdiction over all civil lawsuits filed against the state and its agencies. It also decides civil claims that typically involve contract disputes, property damage, personal injury, immunity of state officers and employees, discrimination, and wrongful imprisonment.

Steve Faulkner, ODOT press secretary, said the agency “is evaluating all legal options” and that any appeal would be to the 10th District Court of Appeals.