Couple injured in 2018 seek $1.2 million from Cruise organizers

Footage of Ronald Madorin’s Bel Air on fire after it flipped on Second Street near the parking lot of JCPenny in August of 2018. A couple injured in the accident is suing Cruise organizers after it was found Madorin did not have auto insurance and he filed for bankruptcy. To see the whole video on FOX 12 click here.

By Tom Peterson

The crash and burn of Ronald Leroy Madorin’s 1955 Chevy Bel Air after a burnout on Second Street in 2018 has a local couple who were injured during the wreck seeking $1.2 million in compensation. 

Madorin of Portland, who was sentenced to jail for assault for causing the Aug. 10, 2018 injuries, has been dropped from the suit because he filed for bankruptcy.

“Frankly, there is nothing to get from him,” said Steven Kahn, attorney for the injured couple, Craig and Jessica Byers. “If he had insurance, that would have covered his conduct.”

Ronald Leroy Madorin

The case exposes the problem of uninsured motorists in the United States. One in eight drivers does not carry insurance, according to a study by the Insurance Research Council Conducted in 2018. The effects can be devastating, pushing people into bankruptcy, loss of income and mounting medical bills.

The Byers through Kahn are seeking compensation from The City of The Dalles, The Dalles Main Street Program, The Rotary Club of The Dalles and the Mid-Columbia Car Club.

According to eye-witness accounts on Aug. 10, 2018, Madorin had been driving a souped-up 1955 Bel Air during the Neon Nights Cruise in downtown The Dalles. He had been spinning his tires and hitting the accelerator enough to lift the front tires off the ground on one occasion. 

Madorin was awaiting a stoplight to change on Second Street where it intersects with Washington Street. Once the light changed, he hit the accelerator again and lost control of the vehicle, according to witnesses.

The car struck a parked Ford Expedition SUV, which was pushed over the curb and onto Craig Byers and his wife Jessica who were standing on the sidewalk near the parking lot of JCPenny. The Bel Air then flipped over during the accident and caught fire. 

Byers was taken by LifeFlight to a Portland hospital where he was treated for a broken vertebra, fractured skull and moderate to severe brain damage.

Jessica Byers injured her right hip, her ankle and neck. She also suffered a fracture in her lower back, according to court testimony. 

The Byers are asking for $1 million in non-economic damages. Craig Byers is also seeking $176,318 for medical transport bills, ongoing medical treatment, lost wages and impaired earning capacity. Jessica Byers is seeking $37,500 for current and future medical bills and lost earnings.

According to court documents the Car Club did not carry insurance for the event. However.

The Byers’ Attorney, Kahn states in the complaint that all four organizations “restricted participation in and access to the “Neon Cruise” route only to vehicles whose owners registered to participate in the “Neon Cruise.“

“Madorin was allowed to participate in the Neon Cruise in 2018 without registering and without having insurance,” he said in an interview on Monday, Dec. 7. “There seem to be eye-witness accounts of Madorin participating in the cruise for at least a few rotations leading up to when he peeled out and crashed into the SUV and crashed into my clients,” he said. “He was violating the Cruise rules and nobody stopped him from continuing to participate.”

During Madorin’s sentencing in Wasco County Circuit Court, an eye-witness said they had observed Madorin “wheelie” prior to the wreck. Madorin was also required to pay $71,000 in restitution.  

Attorney for The Dalles Rotary Club, Bill Davis, said his client had no fault in the claim.

“It was an unfortunate accident,” he said. “The evidence will come out, and we'll let it speak for itself.”

He said the Byers attorney, Steven Kahn, was a good guy and a respected lawyer.

“Who bears the fault, we’ll see,” he said.

Attorneys for The City of The Dalles and The Dalles Main Street both said they could not comment on the pending litigation. The attorney for the Mid-Columbia Car Club has not yet been reached for comment.

Timing - During Cruise or Not?

Kahn, reading from The Dalles Police report, said the wreck and injury to the Byers occurred at 8:28 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2018, which puts the incident in the time of the cruise, which he maintains was between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. that night.

In past reports, it has been stated that the cruise had already ended when the crash occurred. The registration form for the 2018 Cruise, includes a schedule for the Neon Cruise from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

What’s Next?

The civil case, which was originally filed in Multnomah County, is expected to be moved to Wasco County as attorneys have all agreed to the venue change as of  Dec. 1. 

In addition, Kahn will undertake depositions with defendants in weeks to come, according to Davis.

Given the backlog in cases due to the pandemic, attorneys thought the case would not end up in trial until the later part of 2021. 

If the Byers are successful in winning a judgment in the case, Davis said the amounts paid by each defendant would be decided by the jury.

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