On Sept. 15, a jury found a driver mostly responsible for a head-on crash that he tried to blame on the city for failing to maintain its road. In 2006, Kevin Roach was driving a car on an old, narrow, two-lane S-curve in Beaumont when he collided with an oncoming pickup truck. Roach claimed the city road had asphalt missing on the right and a large crack in the pickup’s lane. He said that he felt his car hit an obstruction in the road, which caused him to lose control of the car as it jerked to the left into the pickup’s path. The city claimed the road was slick from rain, Roach’s tires were worn and he was going too fast. The jury found the city 10 percent negligent and Roach 90 percent negligent.
Roach v. City of Beaumont, No. D181982
