BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The City of Bellingham has reached a settlement with the family of a teenager who was hit by an official government car in a crosswalk with a malfunctioning signal.

The city council voted to approve the $325,000 settlement at its meeting on Monday, Dec. 16.

The 14-year-old boy’s parents sued the city earlier this year over the incident that occurred in February 2022.

Court documents state that the boy was biking across a marked electronic crosswalk on Barkley Boulevard when he was hit by a car and seriously hurt. The car was an official government vehicle being driven by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

A witness who was crossing at the same time as the boy claims that the lights on the crosswalk signal only activated on one side of the street.

The parents allege that city employees knew that the crosswalk signal was not working properly.

Council member Michael Lilliquist said during the meeting that the city has accepted responsibility for its part in the crash.

“There were many factors to blame, but one of those factors had to do with a misfunctioning crossing signal,” Lilliquist said. “It wasn’t the only factor, the city had taken steps to mitigate that risk, but nonetheless, a small component of responsibility remained with the city.”

Lilliquist added that he’s heard the boy is recovering well after sustaining “serious harm” in the accident.

ICE and the officer driving the car were originally named as defendants but were dropped from the lawsuit several weeks after it was filed.