Wrongful death suit settled out of court

Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 | 10:35 a.m.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of former Sun executive Sandy Thompson against the man who caused the car accident that killed her has been settled out of court.

Gary Thompson, whose wife was vice president and associate editor at the Sun, and an attorney for the defendants in the suit said the settlement included a confidentiality agreement that prohibited them from disclosing anything in the agreement.

Sandy Thompson was waiting at a red light on the Las Vegas Beltway and Far Hills Avenue on Aug. 9, 2002, when a sport utility vehicle driven by John Simbrat crashed into her Toyota Camry.

Thompson, 54, died in the crash, and Simbrat was charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, reckless driving and manslaughter. Police said Simbrat, then 21, was high on marijuana when the accident occurred.

In December 2002 Simbrat pleaded guilty to the DUI charge and was sentenced to five to 12 years in prison. The other charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in October 2002 and sought unspecified damages from Simbrat and the owners of the vehicle he was driving, Michael and Cindy Baker.

In an October 2003 court filing, both sides stated they had agreed to dismiss the case, causing a trial scheduled for next week to be canceled.

Gary Thompson said that while this marks the end of the legal cases surrounding his wife's death, he and his daughter, Kelly, are still left with the loss of a wife and mother.

"The ordeal never ends because you never get over the loss of someone like my wife," Gary Thompson said. "But my daughter and I are moving on."