Alleged drunk driver to pay $1.5 million to son of woman killed in Overland Park crash
A 20-year-old man accused of driving drunk at 134 mph through a red light, leading to a fatal crash in Overland Park late last year, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to the son of the 75-year-old woman who died, according to court records.
A wrongful death petition filed Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court says Isaiah Sadowski, the suspected drunk driver, will pay the sum to Michael Pence, son of crash victim Barbara Patterson. The parties mutually agreed to the payout, which will come through an insurance policy held by Sadowski, the court document says.
Full terms of the settlement are confidential. The lawsuit notes Sadowski denies any wrongdoing or that he contributed “in any way to the injuries or death” of Patterson. As of Friday the civil case was still in arbitration, and the settlement will require a judge’s approval.
An attorney representing Sadowski in the civil case did not immediately return The Star’s request for comment Friday afternoon.
Reached by phone on Friday, Lauren Dollar, an attorney representing Pence, declined to comment for this story as the case is still pending before the court.
Sadowski was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Patterson’s death in February. He was placed on house arrest roughly two weeks later after a $150,000 bond was posted on his behalf.
The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. Dec. 27 as Sadowski allegedly sped southbound along Quivira Road and ran a red light at 127th Street, slamming into Patterson’s silver Nissan Versa, authorities have said. Patterson was pronounced dead shortly after the crash.
Sadowski suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. As police officers pulled him from his damaged car, they smelled alcohol on his breath, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the criminal case. They also noticed an empty individual bottle of Rumple Minze peppermint liqueur and an open bottle of whiskey in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Police used traffic cameras and data from a location-sharing application on Sadowski’s cell phone to conclude that he was driving 134 mph when he crossed 116th Street mere moments before the wreck. The posted speed limit in the area is 45 miles per hour.
During the criminal investigation, witnesses told detectives Sadowski had been posting images of partying and drinking alcohol on social media throughout the night before the crash.
Authorities allege Sadowski had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 when he was driving. Under Kansas law, the legal limit is .08 for adults, but .02 for anyone underage like Sadowski.
