Woman hit by train while in police car receives $8.5 million settlement

Yareni Rios settled her civil case against Platteville and Fort Lupton police after they parked a patrol car on train tracks while she was inside.

PLATTEVILLE, Colo. — Two small Colorado towns have agreed to pay a woman $8.5 million in a settlement agreement nearly two years after she survived getting hit by a freight train while restrained in a police car.

Yareni Rios, who was 20 years old at the time, survived the collision with multiple broken ribs, a skull fracture, a broken back and leg and other injuries on Sept. 17, 2022.

Two of the officers involved, Jordan Steinke with Fort Lupton Police and Pablo Vasquez with Platteville Police, were criminally charged in the case and ultimately convicted of misdemeanor charges. Both officers lost their jobs.

The $8.5 million settlement agreement will be paid out through an insurance policy that covers the liability of the towns of Platteville and Fort Lupton, attorneys for Rios said.

The Paul Wilkinson Law Firm filed the lawsuit on behalf of Rios in state court.

“This is an excellent result especially when dealing with small municipalities with limited funds amid a hard fought battle for our client,” said Paul Wilkinson to 9NEWS.

Over the past year-and-a-half, Rios has gone through substantial physical therapy sessions as she continues to recover.

The traffic stop on the train tracks began when someone reported a road rage incident involving Rios.

9NEWS has reached out to Fort Lupton and Platteville for comment about the lawsuit settlement.

For more on this story, and others, visit The Denver Gazette’s news partners 9NEWS.com.