Washington state to pay family $10 million after highway tree crash

By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - Washington state will pay $10 million to the children and son-in-law of a couple who were killed when a tree crashed onto their SUV along a U.S. highway, their attorney said on Friday. Tim and Cheryl Owen, of Bothell, were killed instantly and their three adult children and son-in-law were left disabled in the December 2012 incident along Highway 2, which weaves through the Cascade Range toward Leavenworth, attorney Karen Koehler said. The area had severe weather before the accident and Chelan County had declared an emergency and asked residents to restrict driving, but the state's Department of Transportation (WSDOT) "did not echo any of these warnings", the statement said. After the incident, in which an ice-laden 125-foot-tall tree struck the vehicle and then additional trees fell, the WSDOT refused State Patrol requests to close the roadway, it said. After another car was struck by a tree, WSDOT later closed the road for three days. "We hope that by financially acknowledging our loss, that the State will be more proactive in protecting the traveling public from known dangers," the family said in a joint statement provided by Koehler. They added the State "acted humanely and compassionately" during mediation, which took a year. Washington State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins said: "We felt we had a strong case on the legal merits, but one never knows how a jury will view an issue. This mediated settlement ends what can be an expensive and complicated legal process and provides certainty for all parties involved." The couple's son, Jeremy, was not severely injured but their daughter, Jessica, was left paralyzed after a spinal injury. Their son-in-law and other daughter suffered fractured limbs, among other injuries. Hospital and physical therapy bills have been in the millions of dollars, Koehler said. After the incident, the family filed statutory complaint claims with Washington State, which requested they not sue and instead pursue settlement negotiations, Koehler said. (Editing by Ken Wills)