ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The family of a woman killed in a crash with an Allegan County Sheriff’s Department cruiser has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the department as well as Allegan County, Lee Township, and the deputy who was behind the wheel.
In the civil suit, the family of 74-year-old Ofelia Nunez is claiming that former Allegan County sheriff’s deputy Thomas Goggins was driving the cruiser recklessly ” at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash on June 12, 2022. The crash killed Nunez and seriously injured her husband Jose Nunez.
According to WOOD TV-8, Goggins and a field training officer who was riding with him said they were trying to catch a speeding minivan on the day of the crash. WOOD TV-8 also said that in the seconds before the fatal collision, the deputy was allegedly driving more than 90 miles per hour with no lights or sirens.
While facing misdemeanor charges of moving violation causing death and moving violation causing serious impairment last fall, Goggins’ defense said he did exactly what he was trained to do when trying to catch a speeding driver. There has been no word on the criminal case since he was arraigned and released on a $500 recognizance bond.
The family of Nunez is seeking more than $25,000 dollars from the civil lawsuit.
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