DC Jury Clears Driver in Stop Sign Crash Lawsuit Trial
A District of Columbia Superior Court jury found in favor of Defendant Naeem Wynn on May 19, 2026, ending a civil lawsuit brought by Joseph Wade over a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Kansas Avenue NW and Ingraham Street in Washington, D.C. Wade claimed that Wynn ran a stop sign on March 11, 2023, and slammed into his 1997 Chevrolet Astro, destroying the vehicle and causing serious, life-threatening injuries that required treatment at Howard University Hospital. Wade sought more than $75,000 in compensatory damages on a negligence count and more than $3.5 million on a gross negligence count, claiming permanent injuries, lost income, and ongoing pain, anxiety, and fear of driving. Wynn, represented by attorney Michael Merod, denied the allegations in his answer filed on December 12, 2024, and raised ten separate defenses, including denials of negligence, lack of a causal link between the crash and Wade's claimed injuries, and possible third-party fault. After trial before Associate Judge Leslie A. Meek, the jury answered "No" to the first question on the verdict form, which asked whether the Defendant acted negligently. Because of that finding, the jury did not consider the second question about the Plaintiff's own negligence. The Court entered judgment in favor of Wynn and against Wade in the amount of $0.00 on the same day.
