The city of Bakersfield settled a wrongful death lawsuit Monday for $22 million after an on-duty police officer killed another driver and severely injured a passenger in a 2023 vehicle collision.
On Monday, the Central California town agreed to pay the settlement to Ana Hernandez and the family of Mario Lares, who died from his injuries when former Bakersfield Police Department Officer Ricardo Robles ran a stop sign at 80 mph without triggering his police sirens, according to a news release.
“It’s a record amount. The city has never paid that amount,” Daniel Rodriguez, founder and president of Rodriguez & Associates, told SFGATE. “What made this case different was the violation of safety protocols.”…