Holy Cross, former rowing coach sued by other driver in fatal Florida crash
Ronald Wolf was driving a pickup truck when a van carrying members of the Holy Cross women's rowing team reportedly turned into oncoming traffic.
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The driver of a pickup truck involved in the fatal crash of a van carrying members of the Holy Cross women’s rowing team in January has sued the college, as well as its now-retired women’s rowing coach, who was behind the wheel.
Ronald Wolf was the driver of the pickup truck that collided with the team’s van while the student-athletes were in Vero Beach, Florida, for training. Patrick Diggins, the team’s coach who has since retired, was cited for failure to yield. He was not criminally charged.
The crash killed 20-year-old rower Grace Rett and injured multiple other members of the team. One other rower, Margaret O’Leary, filed a federal lawsuit against the college and Diggins in April but had it dismissed in May, according to MetroWest Daily News.
The new lawsuit, obtained by Boston.com via online records, notes that Wolf is seeking damages in excess of $75,000. He “sustained catastrophic injuries” in the crash, the suit says.
In recapping the crash, the suit says that Wolf was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup truck northbound on Indian River Boulevard in Vero Beach toward the Merrill P. Barber Bridge around 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 15. He reportedly had a green light and proceeded toward the intersection. On the opposite side of the roadway, Diggins was driving a 2020 Ford transit van and drove into the left turn lane to then head onto the bridge, according to the suit.
As Wolf drove toward the intersection, he noticed that Diggins appeared to be looking down, the suit says. Diggins then proceeded to turn left — the lawsuit says that it is believed Diggins had a solid green light — not a green arrow — that means he should have watched for oncoming traffic and only turned when it was clear.
Diggins then, according to the suit, “suddenly and without warning darted into the northbound lanes of Indian River Boulevard,” and the van collided with the truck Wolf was driving.
The suit also claims that some at Holy Cross “expressed concern” over “Diggins’ flippant driving habits.”
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