The City of Birmingham was recently ordered by a judge to pay $85,000 as a result of an accident involving a Birmingham police officer whose patrol car hit another vehicle and injured the driver.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Robert Vance ordered the City of Birmingham to pay $85,000, plus court costs of $5,971.24, in the case of plaintiff Cynthia Thomas against the City of Birmingham and Birmingham Police Officer Demarco Easley. Thomas was injured in the accident and the award was to compensate her for “pain, suffering and mental anguish.”

The case went to trial on Nov. 22, 2022. Vance determined that the accident was “the direct result of defendant Easley’s negligence in driving his police vehicle” on Oct. 16, 2017, when he went through the intersection of Huffman Road and Roebuck Drive with his siren and flashing lights on.

“He failed to slow and confirm that the intersection was clear before proceeding through,” Vance wrote in the judgment.