Woman injured in 4-car collision sues

A woman who was injured in a four-vehicle collision along Middle Road in front of Sugar King Park in Garapan last March has sued the driver that allegedly caused the accident.

Barbara Hofschneider sued Kyung Eae Jung for negligence. Napu Inc., the owner of the car being driven by Hofschneider, also joined the lawsuit as co-plaintiff.

Hofschneider and Napu Inc., through counsel Victorino Torres, asked the Superior Court to order Jung to pay damages, court costs, and attorney’s fees.

Torres stated in the complaint that on March 10, 2008, Hofschneider was traveling south on Chalan Pale Arnold (Middle Road), while Jung was driving east.

Torres said that Jung failed to stop at the posted stop sign and entered the oncoming traffic, causing immediate collision among several vehicles.

The lawyer alleged that Jung was traveling at an alarming speed in excess of the posted speed limit.

Jung’s vehicle collided with another vehicle, causing the third vehicle to collide with Hofschneider’s car, Torres said.

“Upon collision, Hofschneider’s vehicle immediately spun haphazardly, was violently shaken, and overturned, where the vehicle landed on its hood,” he said.

Torres said his client was in the overturned vehicle for agonizing minutes while she waited for help to exit.

As a result of Jung’s negligence, Torres said, Hofschneider sustained “economic and non-economic damages, loss of income, special damages, personal injuries, severe pain and suffering, and emotional, mental distress and diminished quality of life.”

As a result of Jung’s negligence, he added, Napu Inc. sustained damages including property and loss of use of its vehicle.

Police said one person (Hofschneider) was seriously injured and two others were hurt in that accident.

Saipan Tribune learned that the vehicle that overturned on the outer lane of the southbound lane was a sports utility vehicle.

A white Toyota Sienna CE van that collided with the SUV rested on the shoulder of the road.

A white Ford FISO pickup belonging to the Division of Environmental Quality landed on the drainage at the shoulder of the northbound lane after it collided with a gold Toyota Echo.

The Toyota car rested on the other side of the drainage next to the pickup truck.

All four vehicles had extensive damage.