An attorney for a woman from Thurston County, Washington, has claimed that the woman was suffering from a brain bleed when she was incorrectly arrested for DUI. Nicole McClure, 40, is now suing Thurston County, its jail, and the Washington State Patrol for negligence.

The lawsuit details that State Trooper Jonathan Barnes tried to stop McClure for driving unusually slowly on March 21, 2022. Even when he used lights and sirens, she continued at her slow pace. Backup was called in when McClure ran into a roundabout, with the dashcam capturing Barnes rushing to her car with his gun drawn.

Matt Dubin, McClure’s lawyer, asserts that she had not been feeling well on that day, explaining that dizziness, confusion, and a headache caused her to leave work early and she was on her way home. According to the DUI arrest report, troopers did not perform a sobriety test but assumed she was under the influence due to the collision.

Following the arrest, McClure was sent to Capital Medical Center to have her blood drawn, but no medical examination was conducted. Dubin stated that McClure was found to have neither alcohol nor drugs in her system but was disoriented due to a stroke.

The complaint further alleges that McClure was ignored while she was in the county jail as her brain bleed and swelling progressed. Dubin claims that she was left on the floor of her cell in a deteriorating state for 24 hours before being found lying in her own urine. The jail’s medical team then took her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a brain bleed.

Stating that McClure’s treatment might have been more effective had her condition been discovered earlier, Dubin also reveals that part of her skull had to be removed to alleviate brain pressure. He criticizes the State Patrol for escalating a situation that ended up seriously affecting McClure’s life.

Both the Washington State Patrol and the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office have not commented on the allegations due to the pending litigation.

Read more – Source