Six-year-old Katrina Martinez of Bakersfield, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, was recently paid $4.5 million by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for injuries stemming from a car accident five years ago.
Katrina's health problems began when she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. On April 7, 2006, 24-year-old Thomas Lee Holt, Jr. stole an SUV. Martinez, who was 20 months old at the time, was traveling in a vehicle driven by her 17-year-old aunt, Lisa Rosas. Meanwhile, the police were in the process of trying to apprehend Holt for the car theft and when the suspect gave chase and slammed into the car that Rosas was driving.
Rosas was killed immediately and Martinez was found after the crash by a CHP worker dangling in her car seat. The officer wanted to help the child and described her as being "in physical distress," however, witnesses said that he did not remove Martinez from the vehicle properly to ensure her safety.
According to Bakersfield.com, Martinez's attorney described the scene of the accident as follows: "According to witnesses at the scene, the baby's head was moving like a windshield wiper." This was because the CHP worker failed to immobilize the child's head and neck when he removed her from the car. In fact, during the trial, paramedics that witnessed the incident explained that they were concerned about how Martinez was being held - saying that this incorrect handling could cause a spinal cord injury.
Although a Kern County judge originally dismissed the case, the appeals court agreed that there was indeed merit to the claim that the CHP worker's actions may have caused or contributed to Katrina's paralysis. Ultimately, the case was settled and CHP agreed to pay $4.5 million, which will help Martinez with her medical bills for her injuries and life-long treatment.
KGET TV reported that the man who put this tragedy in motion apologized to Martinez and her family when he was sentenced for his crimes. Holt pleaded no contest to various charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
