Woodbury Family Hit in Road is Awarded $1.9 Million

A Woodbury family whose infant daughter was killed when she and her grandmother were struck as they crossed Radio Drive was awarded $1.9 million in a civil verdict last week.

Sophia Gu and her grandmother, Suxian Yu, 64, were killed July 25, 2001, as they crossed the street. After the driver who struck the two settled with the family, the relatives filed a claim against the driver’s insurer, American Family Insurance Co., under a clause for underinsured drivers.

A Dakota County jury on Thursday awarded the family $1.9 million, according to a news release from the family’s attorney. American Family is required to pay $100,000 of the award, according to its insurance policy, said the family’s attorney, Jim Weinmeyer.

"It’s very bittersweet for them," he said. "They lost their infant, and obviously nothing’s going to replace that."

A spokesman for American Family, which is based in Madison, Wis., said he did not have direct knowledge of the case and could not comment.

The jury also found the driver, whose name was kept confidential as part of the settlement, to be 75 percent responsible. The grandmother was found to be 25 percent responsible, according to the news release.

Weinmeyer said the driver was driving below the posted speed limit of 50 miles per hour but failed to keep a proper lookout for pedestrians. Sophia Gu is survived by her parents, a brother and a sister, he said.