SARASOTA, Fla. — A jury awarded about $475,000 on Friday to the families of two Chipley residents killed in a collision with a CSX train three years ago, the Associated Press reported.
Driver Tonia Campbell, 18, and passenger Greg Cady, 23 were killed in the October 1999 accident.
During the weeklong trial, the engineer of the mile-long freight train said he saw the car pull up to the crossing and then the driver looked at him and smiled before accelerating onto the tracks.
Lawyers for Campbell and Cady argued that the driver was not smiling but squinting into the afternoon sun.
Attorney Michael Blaylock also contended that Campbell’s view was hindered by overgrown vegetation at the crossing, which had neither lights nor gates, and that the engineer did not blow the train’s horn within five seconds of arriving at the crossing.
The defense countered by saying that technology on the train does not allow the timing of the horn to be pinpointed that exactly.
The six-member jury, which deliberated about four hours, awarded $805,529 to Campbell’s daughter and $100,000 each to her parents, but reduced the awards by 80 percent with a finding of contributory negligence by Campbell.
The jury also awarded $239,745 to Cady’s daughter and $30,300 to his mother.
CSX officials have not decided whether to appeal the award, attorney Ron Oberdier said.