Ford Wins Jury Verdict in Missouri Police Suit

A Missouri jury cleared Ford Motor Co. of liability for the death of a state trooper and burn injuries suffered by a 50-year-old man in a post-collision fire involving a Ford Crown Victoria police car.

The officer, Michael Newton, burned to death after the gas tank of the Crown Victoria he was driving ruptured after the accident, setting off a fire. Michael Nolte, a passenger in the police car, sustained severe burns before being pulled out of the vehicle. Their lawsuits, which claimed the Crown Victoria was defective because its gas tank was behind the rear axle, sought more than $60 million in damages.

Ford said the placement of the gas tank isn’t a defect.