Plymouth County official sued over Sioux City vehicle crash
By Nick Hytrek – Sioux City Journal, Iowa (TNS)
SIOUX CITY — A man who was seriously injured in a Sioux City traffic accident this spring has sued a Plymouth County official for allegedly causing the crash.
Rosendo Mejia Lopez, of South Sioux City, says Plymouth County Emergency Management coordinator Rebecca Socknat ran a red light while driving a Plymouth County vehicle through a Sioux City intersection and struck his car, causing hip fractures and other injuries.
He is suing Socknat for negligence and the county for liability and negligence. Mejia Lopez’ son, who was a backseat passenger in his car at the time of the crash and was not injured, is also a plaintiff in the suit and is suing Socknat and the county for loss of parental consortium resulting from his father’s injuries.
There was no answer in the Plymouth County Emergency Management office Friday afternoon. Sioux City attorney Doug Phillips, who is representing Plymouth County and Socknat, said he had not yet seen the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Woodbury County District Court, and could not comment on it.
At approximately 11:47 a.m. April 25, Mejia Lopez was westbound in a Honda Sonata sedan on an Interstate 29 exit ramp, approaching the intersection with Floyd Boulevard and had a green light to proceed through the intersection. Socknat was northbound in a Dodge Ram pickup truck at the same intersection and, according to the lawsuit, drove through a red light and struck the driver’s side of Mejia Lopez’ car while traveling at approximately 29 mph.
Mejia Lopez, who was 35 years old at the time, spent 16 days in a Sioux City hospital, where he underwent three surgeries to insert screws to repair his hip fractures and another surgery to treat a left thigh injury.
Mejia Lopez says he sustained permanent injuries that have decreased his mobility and ability to work. He is seeking a judgment awarding him past and future damages for loss of earning capacity, future medical expenses and loss of enjoyment of life.
Socknat, 38, of Kingsley, Iowa, was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device. The citation was dismissed in September, and Socknat, who was hired as the Plymouth County Emergency Management coordinator in June 2022 after filling the same role in Woodbury County for nearly six years, was ordered to pay $55 in court costs.
The lawsuit also includes a claim against Mejia Lopez’ auto insurance carrier for costs and damages for which Socknat and Plymouth County’s insurance did not cover.
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