Bellevue's liability insurance premium jumped by more than 50 percent from last year, in part, because the borough is being sued by the mother of a child hit and killed during a police chase.
The borough's premium, with C.W. Howard Agency, the same company it used last year, was hiked to $64,619 for 2003, from about $40,000 last year, according to borough Manager David Golebiewski. The insurance covers general, excess, property, auto and police liability.
The increase, Golebiewski said, stems from a lawsuit filed over the death of 7-year-old Raymond Michelotti, who was hit in 1998 by a Chevrolet Blazer driven by a man fleeing police.
Golebiewski says C.W. Howard is raising its rate because of what is called a potential loss record. He says the company is worried about liability claims in the borough.
On June 22, 1998, Jamal Tait, of the North Side, threatened a pedestrian after the pedestrian told him to slow down on a residential street in Avalon. Police chased Tait after the incident. He fled into Pittsburgh, and the Chevy Blazer he was driving hit and killed Raymond Michelotti, who was riding his bike near his Brighton Heights home.
The borough is being sued by Raymond's mother, Kathleen. Golebiewski said the borough stands to lose a significant amount of money.
"We'd like to get that case resolved," he said. "We haven't lost any (money) yet, but the potential is there."
In 1999, Tait was convicted of third-degree murder in Raymond's death, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, fleeing police, firearms violations and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was sentenced in 2000 to 28 to 57 years in prison.
Rick Wills can be reached at rwills@tribweb.com or (724) 779-7123. Lisa M. Chiappelli is a freelance writer.
