SECOND LAWSUIT FILED AFTER LAKEWOOD POLICE OFFICER CAUSES 3-WAY CAR CRASH

A second lawsuit has just been filed after a Lakewood police officer caused a 3-way crash while driving a department vehicle, FAA News has learned.

Both lawsuits fault the police officer. However, the two lawsuits differ vastly regarding what exactly happened after the initial crash.

As previously reported here on FAA News, back in July 2022, Freehold Township resident Ujjwala Jain filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court in Ocean County charging that Lakewood Police Officer Matthew T. McKee crashed into her while he was driving a police department vehicle on Route 88 in Brick Township in a non-emergency situation.

According to the complaint, on January 13, 2022, Ujjwala Jain was stopped in traffic eastbound when Officer McKee, who was driving behind her, struck her vehicle so forcefully that her vehicle crossed over into oncoming westbound traffic. Her vehicle was then struck by a third vehicle.

The Plaintiff charges that the crash caused her "serious and permanent damages" and she is currently "disabled from attending to her necessary affairs and business."

The suit, filed by Edison Attorney Steven Cahn, seeks an unspecified amount of money for damages, interest, and costs of suit.

Subsequently, in July 2023, the plaintiff filed a motion to amend the complaint to add Suzanne M. Pickell as an additional defendant.

"Upon further discovery it has been disclosed that Suzanne M. Pickell may have been negligent in the operation of her motor vehicle and negligence may also be a proximate cause of the Plaintiff's injuries," Mr. Cahn wrote in the motion filing.

The amended complaint states that Plaintiff Ujjwala Jain was stopped in traffic eastbound on Route 88 in Brick Township when Officer McKee, who was driving behind her, struck her vehicle so forcefully that her vehicle crossed over into oncoming westbound traffic and her vehicle was then struck by a third vehicle which was driven by Suzanne M. Pickell, who was driving westbound.

In response to being served this amended complaint, Pickell and her husband have just filed their own lawsuit against the police department.

This new lawsuit has a very different version of the story as to what exactly occurred after McKee crashed into Jain.

The Complaint, filed by Brick Attorneys Scott W. Geldhauser and John J. Rizzo Esq., asserts that Officer McKee's crash into Ujjwala Jain's vehicle caused Jain's vehicle to crash into Pickell's vehicle!

"McKee so negligently owned and operated his motor vehicle so as to cause his vehicle to collide with Jain's vehicle. As a result of the collision between McKee and Jain, Jain then struck Pickell's car, causing Pickell to sustain serious injuries.

"Jain so carelessly operated their motor vehicle and/or failed to take any evasive action after the initial collision thereby causing their vehicle to strike Pickell's vehicle, causing Pickell to sustain serious injuries.

"As a direct and proximate result of the negligence and carelessness of the defendants, plaintiff suffered permanent injuries whereby body parts have not healed to function normally... which injuries required medical treatment, caused pain and suffering, disability and impairment and the loss of enjoyment of life and incapacitated plaintiff from pursuing normal employment and other usual activities and will in the future require additional medical treatment and result in continuing pain and suffering, disability and impairment and loss of enjoyment of life," the Complaint states.

The suit seeks an undisclosed amount of damages, attorneys fees and costs of suit.

Lakewood residents are on the hook for the legal fees for both of these lawsuits.

As previously reported here on FAA News, the Lakewood Police Department is also currently defending itself against a lawsuit due to a crash caused by Traffic Safety Officer Alex Guzman.

The suit contends that Guzman was driving an unmarked car through a red light at a high rate of speed when there was no need for such urgency at a busy Township intersection, all while using his cell phone.

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