Clarifications on Burton trials

As jury foreman for the consolidated Burton vs. Welch and Burton vs. State of California trials, I feel that I should correct several potentially misleading statements appearing in your otherwise excellent article (July 25).

First, you state, “A witness testified that the Burton car was speeding.” There was vague testimony to this effect, however, I and a more than sufficient number of the other jurors found this testimony less credible than Burton’s statement that he was traveling at 50-55 m.p.h., which was corroborated by the physical evidence, and another witness’s testimony that the Welch car was traveling at about 70 m.p.h. (posted limit was 55).

Second, Mr. Ruffolo of Caltrans incorrectly refers to a “miscarriage” with regard to this accident, 10 weeks prematurely, as a result of trauma suffered in the accident.

After viewing all the evidence in this trial and listening to the testimony given, I am convinced that this portion of Pacific Coast Highway between Golden West Street and Warner Avenue in Huntington Beach was negligently maintained in a hazardous condition at the time of the accident.

The jury was taken to the scene of the accident during the trial, and it appears that no substantial changes have been made in the nearly five years since the accident. I am hopeful that CalTrans will now see fit to improve the safety of this stretch of state highway in an effort to prevent a repeat of past tragedies.

JEREMY DAVIS

Mission Viejo