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City of Everett settles with family who says road caused fatal crash

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EVERETT, Wash. — The City of Everett has settled with a family who was suing and blamed a road for a crash that killed their loved one.

The crash five years ago killed Sheena Blair and Martin Ramirez and injured two others after a drunken driver drove the wrong way on Broadway.

The driver, who pleaded guilty, is serving a seven-year prison sentence, but is expected to be released in August.

The family of Blair sued the city of Everett, saying the road played a role in the deaths as well.  The trial was set to start Monday, but the city settled for an undisclosed amount.

They say there have been 20 crashes under the 41st Street overpass since 2010, including another fatality, and claim the intersection is dangerous.

The signs and lights tell drivers they need to turn to stay on Broadway, but several times, drivers continued through.

Blair's family argued the road is so poorly designed that the city is also to blame.

The city's attorney contends that the road is not confusing, and that this should be about getting drunken drivers off the road. But Blair's family attorney said there is a problem there.

"Just because (the woman who was driving drunk) accepted her share of the responsibility doesn't mean that's the only thing that caused the collision," said Blair family attorney Randy Gordon.

The driver who killed Blair and Ramirez also didn't make that turn and hit them head-on.

Gordon said the family hopes that now that the litigation is resolved, the city will fix the intersection.

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