Glendale sues man over officer-involved crash

Glendale has filed a lawsuit against a man who struck a police motorcycle officer while driving on a local freeway, according to court records and city officials.

Glendale Police Officer Roman Fernandez sustained unspecified bodily injuries after Roman Areas struck his motorcycle Sept. 10, 2010, according to the lawsuit, which was filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

City officials would not elaborate on the officer’s injuries, adding that medical records of employees are confidential. Details about the accident were also not available, but may come out later during the court process, said city spokesman Tom Lorenz.

The city is requesting the driver pay for the workers’ compensation benefits, future disability benefits, medical care, property damage and costs of the lawsuit.

The final cost of the lawsuit has yet to be determined.

Contact information for Areas and his attorney were not available Friday.

Whenever a city employee is injured as a result of another person, the city works to get reimbursed, Lorenz said.

“We have a duty to recover taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.

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