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Show County commissioner named in civil suit in November highway collision by Rick Brough County Commissioner Cliff Blonquist has been named in a personal-injury civil suit arising out of a November 1984 auto collision between Blonquist and a Heber City couple. However, Blonquist and his co-defendent, co-defendent, Utah Power & Light, have replied that the plaintiff's own negligence is responsible for injuries suffered in the accident. (The power company, Blonquist's employer, is named in the suit because Blonquist was working at the time in a vehicle owned by U.P. & L. ) The plaintiff, Nancy Haas of Heber, filed the suit, dated March 15, in the Third District Court of Coalville. The suit charges that on Nov. 29, near the intersection of Highways 40 and 248, Blonquist negligently operated his vehicle, causing a collision with the vehicle operated by Merrill Hass. Nancy Haas charged that, as a passenger in the second vehicle, she "had sustained severe injuries to her spine, right arm and shoulder, head and otherwise and Plaintiff has suffered from extreme pain, discomfort and disability, both physical and emotional." Her suit asks for general and specific damages to be set upon proof. More details are provided in a Utah Highway Patrol report by Officer Frank Marcellin. The report said that at 3:55 p.m. on the day of the accident, Blonquist was eastbound on U.S. 40 when he signaled to make a right turn. He then turned back, crossing the highway, and sought to make a left turn off the road. The report said that Merrill Haas, coming in the opposite direction, attempted to take evasive action, but collided with the side of the Blonquist vehicle. Blonquist was cited for an improper left turn, the report said. The defendents filed a reply on April 10, which stated that if injuries occurred, they were caused, at least in part, by the negligence of Nancy and Merrill. This negligence, they said, equaled or was greater than the negligence of the defendants, and they asked for a judgement against Merrill Haas. |