Judge dismisses woman's auto wreck suit

GALVESTON - A local state district court judge recently approved Yatasha Lacy's motion to non-suit a woman whose vehicle struck her along the Sam Houston Tollway in Houston last August, dismissing the defendant and disposing the case.

Galveston County 405th District Court Judge Wayne Mallia dismissed Deborah Hassenfelt from Lacy's lawsuit without prejudice on May 2.

In court papers filed last March 18 in the same court, Lacy explains that Hassenfelt hit her while she was changing a tire near the intersection of S. Wayside Drive and the Beltway 8 service road on Aug. 6, 2010.

The plaintiff was on the way home from a friend's house when she had a flat.

She pulled over along the feeder road and received assistance from a passing motorist and was in the process of helping the driver secure the spare tire when Hassenfelt suddenly struck her, the suit says.

The defendant was blamed for failing to timely apply her brakes, failing to maintain a proper lookout and driving her vehicle at a rate of speed not allowed by the law.

Lacy claimed she sustained injuries to her leg, head, neck and back thus sought $100,000 in damages.

She filed the non-suit request on April 28.

Hassenfelt did not provide an original answer.

Case No. 11-cv-477