Injured officer sues driver charged with negligent injuring

A Morgan City police officer, who was severely injured in a December 2014 crash, is suing the driver of the truck that hit her, according to St. Mary Parish clerk of court records.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 2, says that at about 9:15 a.m. Dec. 5, 2014, Janada Anslum Price was operating a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria Morgan City Police unit and had her police unit in the inside westbound lane of U.S. 90 in Morgan City due to a previous crash on the U.S. 90 bridge in Morgan City, the lawsuit said.
Price had her unit’s emergency lights and flashers on when Nunsie Jett, 49, of Morgan City, ran into her vehicle, the lawsuit says.
Jett was operating a 2003 Ford 250, registered to Swampmesh LLC, the law-suit says. Swampmesh and Allstate Insurance Co. are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Jett failed to observe the roadway ahead of him and negligently ran his truck into the rear of Price’s police unit.
Due to the violent impact of the crash, Price was propelled forward and hit a concrete guard rail, then rotated counterclockwise, coming to rest in the outside lane of U.S. 90 west, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit says Price has suffered and will continue to suffer medical and other damages as a result of Jett’s negligence. Price suffered a dislocated shoulder, multiple broken ribs, fractures in her spine, a collapsed lung and severe facial lacerations due to the crash, the lawsuit says.
Price’s lawsuit requested a jury trial.
Police originally charged Jett with driving while intoxicated, careless operation and negligent injuring in connection with the crash. The district attorney filed a bill of information April 28 charging Jett with first-degree vehicular negligent injuring and reckless operation of a vehicle.
On Aug. 12, Jett waived a trial by jury and elected to be tried by judge, which the court granted, court records stated. Jett’s criminal trial is set for Feb. 16, 2016.