Lawsuit filed against Beaufort County sheriff, former deputy after patrol car crash
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner and a former deputy face a lawsuit filed by a woman who said her vehicle was rear-ended by the deputy last March as she and her daughters sat inside.
The lawsuit, filed in Beaufort County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 15 by Judith Castner and her Hilton Head Island attorneys Samuel Bauer and Robert Metro, refers to an incident on March 9, when she was traveling eastbound on US 278.
Castner alleges former deputy Brian Michael of the Sheriff's Office was also traveling eastbound and hit Castner from behind when she was stopped at a red light at the intersection of US 278 and Buckwalter Parkway, according to the lawsuit.
"As a result of this violent collision, (Castner) has experienced severe pain and has incurred medical costs," according to the lawsuit.
Michael was placed on probation after the incident as policy issues related to the crash were investigated, Tanner said Tuesday.
On March 15, Michael was pulled over for speeding by a supervisor as he drove a patrol vehicle, Tanner said.
Three days later, a supervisor reportedly caught Michael wearing unprofessional attire while driving a patrol vehicle.
"Based on a decline in performance, I terminated him March 25," Tanner said.
Since the crash, Castner's lawsuit says she has suffered from "severe and chronic pain as a result of her injuries," and "severe emotional distress as a result of the injuries sustained from the collision."
The lawsuit says Castner has "substantial expenses" for medical care and treatment of her injuries.
Tanner is being accused of negligence in the hiring and training of Michael and failing to properly supervise employees.
When asked Tuesday about the lawsuit, Tanner declined to comment.
Castner's lawsuit does not specify an amount of damages that she is seeking. An attempt to reach Bauer on Tuesday to inquire about the amount was unsuccessful.
Follow Caitlin Turner on Twitter at twitter.com/Cait_E_Turner.
This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 7:22 PM with the headline "Lawsuit filed against Beaufort County sheriff, former deputy after patrol car crash."