By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — The families of two Florida teenagers killed in a wrong-way crash by Dearborn man Walter Roney, 99, was awarded an additional $10 million, bringing the total to $11 million.
According to the West Palm Beach Post, a federal jury ordered Roney’s estate to pay the amount to the parents of Britney Poindexter, 17 and Santia Feketa, 18, both of Port St. Lucie following a two-day jury trial on April 10.
Each of the four parents, Yvonne and Todd Poindexter and Stewart Feketa and Stacy West will receive $2.5 million for the pain and suffering of losing their daughters in the violent and inexplicable way, the Post reported.
Prior to the trial, Roney’s girlfriend Carolyn Bruns, 75, who was acting as his caregiver at the time of the crash, agreed to pay a $1 million settlement that she was also responsible for the crash.
The crash took place on Feb. 6 while Roney and Bruns were driving the wrong way — westbound in the eastbound lane — on State Road 70 in St. Lucie County.
As the RV traveled from Melbourne to Port Charlotte at night without its lights on, it struck a Chevy Silverado — containing Poindexter and Feketa — head-on. The two teenagers were killed as they drove to a skating rink, and Roney died on Feb. 9 as a result of his injuries.
At the time of the crash, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Raymond Stuhr said Roney had passed written and physical driving exams at the age of 98.
The Post reported that Rooney had poor eyesight, memory problems, limited hearing and was prohibited to drive in 2017 by his neuropsychologist until he received a medical evaluation and passed a Michigan driving test, according to court documents.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at zeinabnajm92@gmail.com.)