City to pay $30,000 in officer-involved crash

Baltimore officials have agreed to pay $30,000 to a woman who was injured when a police officer’s car ran a red light and crashed into her vehicle.

The Board of Estimates — the city spending panel controlled by Mayor Catherine Pugh — voted to approve a settlement with Earlene Stron, 59, who sustained injuries in the 2014 car crash.

On Sept. 29 that year, Stron was driving at the intersection of Frederick and Louden avenues in Southwest Baltimore at 6:30 p.m., when police officer David Connor drove through a red light with his car’s emergency lights activated and siren “intermittently” chirping, according to the city’s law department.

Connor’s car struck Stron’s, causing her right thumb to break, requiring surgery. She also suffered soft tissue injuries to her neck and back. Her medical bills cost $21,000 and she missed four months of work as a chemical technician, causing her to lose about $28,000 in pay, according to the city.

City Solicitor Andre Davis said Baltimore officials are paying close attention to the driving habits of police officers and other municipal workers, such as employees of the transportation department and public works.

“There are a lot of city vehicles out there,” Davis said. “We have in place a program to monitor the driving habits of all city drivers, to train them, to do remediation. We have a lot of car accidents. Fortunately, very few of them are highspeed.”