Pair file suit after wreck with Huntington police officer

HUNTINGTON - Two state residents have filed a suit against the Huntington Police Department after they were involved in a car accident with a city police officer.

Wayne County resident Anthony DeHart and Jessica Aliff, of Cabell County, filed the suit May 21 in Cabell Circuit Court, against the City of Huntington and the City of Huntington Police Department.

According to the suit, DeHart and Aliff were in a 1993 Honda Accord on the Altizer Bridge when they collided with a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria operated by Joshua Coffey, a Huntington Police Officer.

The suit says Coffey failed to keep control of his vehicle and caused the collision.

According to the suit, the tires on Coffey's car were worn and had insufficient thread, breaching the duty the department has to maintain their vehicles.

DeHart and Aliff claim they were seriously and severely injured in their back, neck and arms. They seek compensatory and punitive damages.

Attorney R. Matthew Vital is representing DeHart and Aliff. The case has been assigned to Judge John L. Cummings.

Cabell Circuit Court case number 08-C-455