HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — The widow of the jogger hit and killed by a Pinch A Penny truck on Bayshore Boulevard in 2020 was awarded $17 million in damages by a jury Wednesday.
The jury decided there was negligence on the part of South Tampa Pool Supplies & Services and John Burek, the owner of the company, leading to the death of George Williams Gage III.
Gage's widow Susan, who is the representative of her late husband's estate, was awarded $17 million in the total amount of damages sustained, court documents show.
The breakdown of charges, according to court documents, show:
- Benjamin Douglas Ehas, the driver of the truck, pays 40 percent.
- South Tampa Pool Supplies & Services pays 30 percent.
- John Burek, the owner of the company, pays 30 percent.
An additional $505,000 was awarded in punitive damages as well, according to court documents.
Tampa police reported in 2020 a Pinch A Penny truck carrying chemicals hit and killed Gage. Ehas, who was driving the truck at the time of the crash, was also seriously injured in the crash, officers said.
The arrest affidavit states Ehas was driving an estimated 60-70 mph in a 35-mph zone while "weaving in and out of traffic." Authorities say he lost control and hit Gage on the sidewalk, sending him into the water.
Investigators say a doctor who examined Ehas told law enforcement officers he smelled alcohol, leading to blood being drawn at the hospital. The affidavit indicates Ehas had a blood-alcohol content level of .234 — nearly three times the legal limit of .08.
Police say Ehas admitted to buying and drinking a double shot of Fireball Whisky around 11 a.m. He also "admitted to smoking marijuana" earlier in the morning, the affidavit said.
Some of the chemicals the truck was carrying spilled into Tampa Bay prompting the Tampa Fire and Rescue's Hazardous Materials Team to respond.