STAUNTON — A Greenville woman has sued a deputy with the Augusta County Sheriff's Office after he slammed his vehicle into her car last year, according to a lawsuit.
The woman, Maureen Branch, is seeking $700,000 in damages plus interest.
During the afternoon of Sept. 13, Branch said she was behind the wheel of a 2020 Nissan Versa and headed east on Greenville School Road, less than a half-mile from its intersection with Main Street. Coming toward her that afternoon in the opposite direction was Dep. Joseph E. Gale, who was on duty and driving a 2018 Ford F-150, a sheriff's office pickup, the lawsuit said.
Gale crossed the centerline and plowed into Branch's car, which sustained significant damage from bumper to bumper on its driver's side, including a front wheel that was dislodged. The car also had some front-end damage, photos from the lawsuit showed.
According to Virginia State Police, Gale was coming into a curve when his pickup went left of center and struck Branch's car. The impact of the crash caused the vehicles to run off the road. State police said both vehicles were going 35 mph, the posted speed limit.
"Gale was not responding to any emergency at the time of this crash, nor was he responding to any governmental duty or function," said the lawsuit. Claiming negligence, the lawsuit said Gale could have fallen asleep at the wheel or was distracted, and said he failed to exercise "reasonable care."
Police cited Gale for failing to drive on the right side of the highway. Augusta County General District Court records show he paid fines and costs of $179 in October.
No injuries were listed in the initial police report, but the lawsuit contends Branch suffered "serious and painful injuries" that could be permanent. The lawsuit said she also incurred substantial medical fees, and suffered lost time and wages from work.
Besides naming Gale, the lawsuit, filed in May, also includes Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith and the Augusta County Sheriff's Office as defendants. Gale was hired in 2019, according to the sheriff's office.
Smith declined comment Monday.
Branch is being represented by attorneys from MichieHamlett PLLC in Charlottesville.
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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Lawsuit: Woman seeks $700,000 following crash with Augusta County deputy
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