County settles lawsuit over woman’s death on I-75

A settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed against Whitley County by the estate of Cassandra Leigh Byrd.

In paperwork filed Friday in U.S. District Court in London, Judge Gregory VanTatenhove signed the agreed order dismissing the lawsuit, which names Whitley County, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, former Sheriff Lawrence Hodge and former Deputy Ben Hodge as defendants.

Hailey Scoville Bonham, the attorney for the Byrd family, confirmed that a settlement had been reached but said the terms of the settlement would not be made public.

Whitley County Judge-executive Pat White, Jr. said he could not comment on the case and when Jason Williams, the attorney for the defendants, was reached he said, "no comment."

The case centered around an incident on Interstate 75 in June 2010 when Cassandra Byrd escaped from the custody of a Whitley County Sheriff’s deputy and was struck and killed by a passing SUV.

In the lawsuit, Crystal Lee Meibeyer, the administratrix of Byrd’s estate stated that then Deputy Ben Hodge had no cause to arrest Byrd, as she had committed no crime.

According to Deputy Hodge, he came up on Byrd’s vehicle near the six-mile marker on north I-75 on June 5. The initial call was for a vehicle fire, but Deputy Hodge reported that Byrd stopped because her car was overheating.

In the 911 tapes, Deputy Hodge is heard telling Whitley Dispatch, "She did not wreck. She drove off the side of the road. She is plowed drunk."

Deputy Hodge arrested Byrd, handcuffed her with her hands behind her back and placed her in the back of his cruiser. While he was collecting evidence from the scene, he said Byrd somehow slipped out of the handcuffs, got out of the cruiser and ran across the interstate where she was struck by a passing vehicle and killed.

Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley said Byrd was thrown about 200 feet from the point of impact. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She still had the handcuffs locked around her left wrist.