Cleveland official faces discipline for crashing city car with kids on board
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered new developments in the case of a top administrator crashing a city of Cleveland car with kids on board.
The mayor’s office confirms a hearing was held Wednesday to decide punishment for assistant safety director Jakimah Dye. We’ve also learned more about her driving city vehicles.
Last month, Dye drove with kids in a city car, crashing in Warrensville Heights.
The City found she did not have the proper insurance, and she didn’t immediately reveal to human resources she had been driving with children in a city vehicle.
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This week, the I-Team also revealed the city has no record of an approval form signed for Dye to be able to drive a city car.
Additionally, just after the accident, Dye wrote in an internal email, saying she didn’t know about a city policy against having kids in the car.
Her boss resigned after telling the I-Team he didn’t know about the policy either.
“So I will tell you, I’ve had my son in the car. We review the policy. I didn’t know there was a problem. She had kids in the car. She’s a mother,” former safety director Karrie Howard said last month.
Back to the crash, Warrensville Heights police did not file any charges against Dye. Meanwhile, at Cleveland City Hall, an employee accident review committee evaluated the crash and determined the accident was preventable.
We’ve also done more digging into Dye driving a city car. Records obtained by the I-Team show, last year, Jakimah Dye drove four different city vehicles. Cars and SUVs.
Also, while looking over gas records, the I-Team found she filled up at city pumps, putting in as much as $40, $50, $60 even $70 worth of gas.
Last month, we also asked the safety director to explain why Dye even needs a city car.
Howard told us she goes out to emergency scenes for police, fire and EMS.
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Yet, five weeks ago, we asked for records of that. The city has not given us any records showing dates, times or locations when Dye responded to an emergency location in a city vehicle.
As for the possible punishment over the recent crash, the mayor’s office says human resources just held the hearing.
The interim safety director will decide on any punishment. It’s not clear when we will get a decision.
The city took away Dye’s driving privileges as all of this has played out.
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