coitsville Ohio Supreme Court to consider negligence case against township

Staff report

COITSVILLE

The Ohio Supreme Court next week plans to hear a negligence case against Coitsville Township to determine who is liable in a 2013 police-vehicle collision that severely injured a Hubbard woman.

Township officials have appealed a 7th District Court of Appeals ruling that found the township liable for the Sept. 18, 2013, crash, which occurred as township officer Donald Dudley was pursuing suspected car thieves at high speeds.

Dudley had not activated his lights or sirens when his vehicle entered the intersection of McGuffey Road and Lansdowne Boulevard and collided with a vehicle driven by Renee McConnell of Hubbard, according to court filings.

McConnell’s vehicle overturned. She spent the next 22 days in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital with 17 fractured ribs, multiple spinal fractures, a collapsed lung, visual impairments and other injuries, according to the initial complaint, filed in 2015 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The suit alleges the township’s hiring and training practices were negligent.

Though the township claimed immunity as a political subdivision, both the county and appellate courts ruled injury or death provides an exception to that immunity.

The appellate court did, however, clear Dudley of any personal liability in the collision.

Oral arguments are set to begin June 12.

Insurance attorneys for neither the township nor McConnell could be reached to comment Tuesday.

Township police Chief Michael Morris declined comment, as the suit is in litigation.