LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $750,000 settlement this week for the family of a woman who was fatally struck by a sheriff's deputy while walking on the side of a freeway.Lisa Hylla, 25, rear-ended a pickup truck on the 405 Freeway near Mission Hills at about 2:20 a.m. on May 3, 2010. The pickup truck came to rest between the number five and six lanes while Hylla's vehicle became disabled in the number one lane of traffic. According to a case summary presented to the Board of Supervisors, Hylla exited her vehicle and was standing or walking north of her car. "A minute later, a Sheriff's deputy in a marked Sheriff's patrol unit, also traveling northbound in the number one lane, was momentarily distracted by the debris in the roadway and the pickup truck," the case summary says. "The deputy saw Ms. Hylla's vehicle ahead, but he was unable to take evasive action before colliding into the vehicle. The collision caused Ms. Hylla's vehicle to collide into her and cause fatal injuries." Hylla's surviving family filed suit, alleging that the deputy negligently operated the patrol unit. The county denied that the accident was caused by the deputy's negligence and contended that Hylla "was comparatively negligent." However, county officials recommended the settlement "due to the risks and uncertainties of litigation." The county had already paid the Hylla family more than $50,000 in attorney fees and other costs.

********** Published: June 14, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 09