Prince George County MD April 18 2013 A jury awarded $90 million the family of Ashley Davis, who was 13 when she was hit by a car and killed in 2009.The Davis family sued the Prince George's County (Maryland) Board of Education after Ashley was hit by a Lincoln Continental crossing the street to get to the bus stop.
The car went on to strike a minivan and a 17-year-old boy.
The lawsuit said the school district was negligent, failing to provide safe transportation to school, NBC Washington reported..
"The policy was they were going to pick up Ashley on her own side of the street," said Davis family lawyer John Costello. "They never did. They forced her to cross the street. She got killed crossing the street."
“If she didn’t have to cross the street … she’d be graduating this year,” said Nycole Davis, Ashley's mother. “She’d be going to prom this year.”
Nycole Davis said she didn't expect anywhere near the amount awarded by the jury -- for damages, medical expenses and funeral costs -- but since there are caps on certain cases against school systems and municipalities at $100,000, more legal action is expected before a payout is made.
“I didn’t ask anyone to give me any money or anything like that,” Nycole Davis said. “I just want someone held responsible for what happened to my daughter.