A woman won a lawsuit in Westchester County Supreme Court for $197,000 after a Yonkers police car hit her during a pursuit.
The jury awarded Aracelis Viruet, 61, the damages Thursday after she said a cruiser drove onto the sidewalk and pinned her against a wall four years ago, according to her lawyer Richard Holzberg. She had been walking home along Oak Street, when the cruiser jumped the curb while following a suspect about 5 p.m. Oct. 31 2008.
Viruet spent three months in the hospital for a severely fractured leg after the incident, and now walks with a cane, Holzberg said. Officer Peter Schwartz told jurors that he jumped the curb to avoid hitting nearby trick-or-treaters in the chase.
The city of Yonkers argued that it was an unfortunate accident. “A Yonkers police officer unintentionally struck the plaintiff in an attempt to avoid hitting trick or treaters,” said a spokeswoman. “The City of Yonkers respects the decision of the jury and finds the amount awarded to the plaintiff to be reasonable.”
Viruet’s lawyer said they were happy with the case. “No amount of money can make up for what she’s been through,” Holzberg said. “[But] She was glad they were held responsible. We held their feet to the fire.”