Family Sues State Over Use Of De-Icer

SANTA FE (AP) – The family of a Los Alamos woman killed after her car slid on liquid de-icer and crashed is suing the state Transportation Department.

The lawsuit alleges the agency improperly applied the de-icer and failed to warn people about it. 53-year-old Patricia Vigil-Booth died December 15th on State Road 502. It was the fourth and final accident that day on the road between Los Alamos and Pojoaque.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department attributed the crash to the liquid de-icer. The lawsuit filed in state district court says a man who was in the second accident on the road that day called the Transportation Department three times to warn about the conditions.

A spokesman for the department says officials do not comment on pendiing litigation.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) AP-NY-05-04-07 0810EDT