TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Police say a Topeka man charged with driving drunk and killing a woman is being sued.
The Topeka Capital-Journal (https://bit.ly/2ny8yBc ) reports that the wrongful death lawsuit against 33-year-old Jason Patterson alleges negligence. Patterson is charged with involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol. He also could face an alternative charge of reckless second-degree murder in the Fourth of July death of 60-year-old Tara French. Shawnee County District Court records show the victim’s widower, Rodney French, is seeking more than $75,000.
Patterson is accused of hitting French with a pickup truck as she crossed a street after arguing with another woman over fireworks that had been shot off near Topeka’s Lake Shawnee.
Patterson denied drinking, but police say his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, https://www.cjonline.com
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