Son files wrongful lawsuit against Box Elder County and school district

A Providence man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several parties including the Utah Department of Public Safety and Box Elder School District in the death of his 77-year-old mother who was killed in a car crash involving a student driver.

On May 11, 2010, Virginia Goodrich's car was struck when a minor student-driver, accompanied by her driving instructor, accelerated through a stop sign, states the lawsuit filed on Monday in Brigham City's 1st District Court.

Ronald Dean Goodrich, personal representative of his mother's estate, is seeking an unspecified amount of damages from the defendants, which also includes the teen, her mother and driving instructor Randall Rasmussen.

The lawsuit states Rasmussen had a duty as an instructor to keep proper look out and to make sure the student driver followed all traffic laws. Rasmussen was riding as a front-seat passenger when the collision occurred, the lawsuit states.

The Utah Department of Public Safety, the county and the school district neglected to properly train, educate and supervise Rasmussen as a student driver instructor, the lawsuit says.

Officials with DPS and Box Elder School District said they couldn't comment Wednesday afternoon because they hadn't yet had an opportunity to review the lawsuit. The Box Elder County Attorney's Office did not immediately return a message left seeking comment.

rorellana@sltrib.com

Janelle Stecklein contributed to this report.