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Man gets $16.2M in speeding trooper case

A jury has awarded $16.2 million against state in favor of a local restaurant owner whose right leg was ripped off by a speeding State Police cruiser.

The verdict was reached shortly before 1 p.m. in Bridgeport Superior Court on Main Street.

The case involved restaurant owner Melvin Gordils, whoses truck had run out of gas on the Route 8/25 Connector at around 2:30 a.m. on May 29, 2010.

Last week, Michael Stratton, the lawyer for restaurant owner Melvin Gordils, had told the jury of two men and four women, that Gordils called his wife, but she was busy with their youngest child, so he got out of the truck and began walking across the highway to get home or to find some gas.

Gordils, the father of five children and the owner of Tropical Cafe and Grill on East Main Street, had nearly made it across the southbound lanes when he was struck by the police cruiser driven by Trooper Darren Pavlik, who was going at least 70 mph in a 45 mph zone without his emergency lights or siren.

"This officer needs to be held accountable, and the only check we have against this government power is you."

But the state's lawyer, James Coyne, countered that the 48-year-old Gordils is responsible for his own injuries. In addition to losing his right leg in the accident, Gordils suffered brain damage and the ability to grasp anything with his hands.

The impact ripped off Gordils' right leg and sent it flying into a driveway 170 feet away. Gordils ended up in a twisted heap on the shoulder of the road. After hitting Gordils, Pavlik drove to the crash scene at normal speed. At that point, Pavlik had his lights on and his dash camera operating.

The video, played for the jury, showed Pavlik get out of his patrol car, examine his front bumper where he struck Gordils and then stand over the man asking for his name and address.

Pavlik testified that he had been trying to catch up to a dark-colored car that had been "flying" down the highway when he struck Gordils.

Pavlik didn't stop the car or call in about the chase.

Stratton told the jury he believes the trooper was traveling more than 100 mph and that he made up the chase with the dark car to cover up his own negligence.

The defense argued the results of a blood test done on Gordils showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .24, three times the legal driving limit. Coyne claimed Gordils' judgment was impaired when he walked across the highway.

The plaintiffs contend that result is not accurate.