Texas jury finds GM car's ignition switch not to blame in deadly 2011 crash

HOUSTON – A Texas jury has found that a General Motors Co. ignition switch was not to blame for a 2011 accident that killed one driver and injured another one.

The jury returned the verdict Thursday in a Houston courtroom.

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Zachary Stevens and his parents had sued GM, claiming a faulty ignition switch in Stevens' Saturn Sky jostled off, causing him to lose control of his car and hit another vehicle, killing its driver.

Attorneys for GM told jurors the accident was caused by Stevens' reckless speeding on a rain-slick road.

The ignition switch can slip out of the on position, making it difficult to steer or stop as the car stalls. GM says it has fixed the problem.

GM won two other ignition cases that were tried earlier this year.

Around 4:30 p.m. on November 15, 2011, the Montgomery County Fire Department and the New Caney Fire Department were dispatched to a major accident on FM 1485 east just east of Sullivan Road.

When they arrived, they found a 2007 Saturn Sky.in the middle of the road with the driver trapped and in and out of consciousness. In the ditch was a 1997 Nissan Frontier which had heavy front end damage.

NCFD cut Stevens out of the Saturn. He was transported to Hermann Hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the Nissan, Mariano Elias Landaverde, 40, of New Caney was pronounced dead on the scene by Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace James Metts. Judge Metts ordered Metcalf Funeral Director to transport the victim to The Montgomery County Forensic Center.

According to witnesses, Stevens, 19, was westbound on FM 1485 at a high rate of speed.

As he entered a curve, he began to pass vehicles on the right shoulder of the two-lane highway. He then struck the guardrail, crushing his right-front fender against the guardrail for over 50 feet before sliding sideways into the eastbound lanes of FM 1485.

Landaverde was eastbound on FM 1485. He saw the Sky coming at him, and attempted to swerve to the ditch.

He was struck almost head on. His truck continued into the ditch. The roll was stopped by a telephone pole.