Families of six teens sue state

Kim Smith

Tuesday, March 19, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

The families of six teenagers killed two years ago today while picking up trash in the median of Interstate 15 are suing the driver who struck them, the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday in District Court, NDOT and the Highway Patrol knew the Clark County work program the teens were participating in violated federal, state and county laws and yet allowed the program to continue.

The lawsuit alleges NDOT officials even specified the areas the teens should clean up and provided them the trash bags.

Scott Garner Jr., 14, Alberto Puig, 16, Anthony Smith, 14, Jennifer Booth, 16, Malena Stoltzfus, 15, and Rebeccah Glicken, 15, were struck and killed by Jessica Williams' vehicle on March 19, 2000.

The youths were picking up trash as part of their probation for minor crimes.

Williams, 22, was sentenced last March to 18 to 48 years in prison after a jury found her guilty on six counts of felony driving with a prohibited substance (marijuana) in her blood.

In November Clark County agreed to pay the families $3.25 million as part of a settlement, and Republic Services of Southern Nevada, which had a contract with the county for the trash pickup, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum.

Negotiations are ongoing between the families and Williams' insurance company, Farmers Insurance.