SAN ANTONIO – A former Universal City Police officer lost his case against Ford Motor Company this week, according to records filed in federal court.
Jeremy Bellamy sued Ford after he said sitting in one of its cars nearly killed him.
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In January, Bellamy told KSAT Investigates about how he believed a 2019 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor led to him getting acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to the lawsuit filed by Bellamy, he was in his police car with the engine idling in March 2021.
KSAT Investigates asked Bellamy how the diagnosis has affected him.
“Just really, my memory has really been, you know, taken a big hit,” Bellamy said.
Bellamy’s attorney, Maureen Farrell, alleged there are defects in the car’s manufacturing and design.
She said Ford did not do enough to warn police departments about those risks.
“For me, Ford kind of sits in the same shoes as a felon fleeing on foot who tries to hurt Jeremy,” Farrell said.
This week, a jury found that the vehicle did not have a deign or manufacturing defect that caused carbon monoxide intrusion.
Ford praised the jury’s verdict.
“We appreciate that the jury’s verdict is consistent with the findings by Ford and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the Explorer is safe,” Ford spokesperson Richard Binhammer said.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
