Husband Wants To Start Scholarship In Wife's Name
Family members of Janise Joseph Woodard, who was killed along
with her infant son when an aircraft impacted their home near
Sanford, FL last July, has settled with NASCAR and an insurance
company on the matter, reports the Orlando Sentinel.
As ANN reported, five people
were killed when the Cessna 310 (type shown above), flown by two
persons employed with the stock car racing league, went down in a
neighborhood in the Orlando suburb July 10, 2007. The plane's pilot
reported smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff from Daytona
Beach; controllers were directing the stricken plane to land at
Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB) when it crashed.
Officials with NASCAR and its insurer, United States Aviation
Underwriters, confirmed a settlement has been reached with Joe
Woodard, Janise's husband and father of Josiah, regarding two
claims filed regarding the accident. Terms will be kept
confidential.
Another couple who lost their four-year-daughter also plans to
file a claim, USUA Senior Vice President Clark Howard said. Peter
Dechat and his wife, Milagros, also lost their house in the
crash... and in addition to the death of their daughter, Gabriela,
both Peter and his stepson suffered severe burns.
Daniel Happy, 10, is still being treated at the Shriners Burn
Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. Howard said it will be more difficult
to determine the amount of damages, as the family's medical
expenses continue to grow.
Natalie Jackson,
attorney for the Woodard family, said USUA approached them after
she sent notice of the family's plan to file a claim. She said Joe
Woodard had no desire for a drawn-out legal fight.
"As long as it was a fair settlement, he wanted to move on with
his life," Jackson said. "He's not a litigious person."
The settlement provides "more than enough" money for Woodard's
daughter, Jurnee, to attend college when she grows up, according to
Jackson. The settlement included compensation for pain and
suffering.
Joe Woodard plans to rebuild his house at the site of the
crash... but likely won't live there. The construction is "really
to kind of help the neighborhood heal," the attorney said.
Woodard has also approached officials with Florida A&M
University's law school, where his wife once took classes, about
starting a scholarship in her name.