Central Valley bus injury trial continues

Matthew and Angela Mallard allege Central Valley was negligent when a district bus hit their daughter, who was 15 and attended Ridgeline High School. The collision happened around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, near Sullivan Road and Eighth Avenue in Spokane Valley. She entered the intersection against the pedestrian signal and spent weeks in the hospital. Her parents say she suffered traumatic brain and extensive physical injuries.

Court records describe conflicting accounts of the moments before impact. Witnesses said the teenager rushed into the road, and some said she appeared to be watching a cellphone. Matthew Mallard testified that she was neither running nor looking at the device, although records say he previously told police that she ran, ignored his warning to stop and dropped the phone. Investigators assigned fault to the girl, not the driver. Testing found no drugs or alcohol in the driver, who was traveling 8 mph below the limit and had no prior district accidents or reprimands.

The dispute now includes the daughter’s future earning ability and need for lifelong accommodations. Chloie Johnson, appearing for the family, calculated nearly $2 million in lost earning capacity across a 37-year career, based on mechanical-engineer pay and claimed cognitive limitations. Central Valley argues there will be no income loss, pointing to her strong academic and professional progress. She graduated with a high GPA, took Running Start courses, earned an associate degree from Spokane Falls Community College and is pursuing a mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree. Proceedings were scheduled to continue Tuesday morning.