- Officer ran a stop sign at nearly 80 mph without sirens.
- Crash killed one person and seriously injured another.
- Supervisors reportedly called off the pursuit before impact.
The city of Bakersfield, California, is about to fork over a record $22 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. The case stems from a fatal 2023 accident in which a now-former police officer ran a stop sign at 80 mph. He hit another car in the intersection, killing a 31-year-old driver and injuring another person in the vehicle.
Legal counsel reached a settlement on February 23rd after pre-trial hearings and jury selection. Attorneys for Ana Hernandez, the injured passenger, and the family of Mario Lares, the deceased driver, accepted the offer, bringing to a close a case that has stretched on for more than three years.
According to court filings, then-Officer Ricardo Robles was traveling at nearly 80 mph when he ran a stop sign at the intersection of South Vineland and Muller Roads around 2:21 a.m. in January 2023…