Lawsuit settlement reached over teen's death

The City of Tucumcari and eight other defendants have settled a lawsuit involving a local teenager who died in an SUV accident in January 2023 at Five Mile Park.

Tucumcari High School freshman Jayden Gloms, 15, died in the accident. His father, Steven Gloms, filed the wrongful death and negligence lawsuit in Quay County District Court about six months later.

The Quay County Sun is not naming many of the defendants in the lawsuit because they identify juveniles at the crash scene.

Former Tucumcari police chief Pete Rivera, plus administrators and coaches at Tucumcari Public Schools, reported the crash involved four juveniles, several who were members of the high school boys basketball team.

Recent court filings stated the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back to court.

One filing stated "an amicable settlement between the parties" was reached.

Steven Gloms' attorney, Jessica Hernandez of the Kennedy, Hernandez & Harrison law firm in Albuquerque, confirmed in an email to the Quay County Sun a settlement had been reached with all defendants, including the city.

"Although nothing can ever truly compensate the Gloms family for their unimaginable loss, we hope that this suit has motivated the City of Tucumcari to make Five Mile Park safer for other children in the future," Hernandez wrote.

Hernandez and city manager Paula Chacon did not disclose the amount of the city's share of the settlement, though Chacon said it was paid through the city's insurer.

Chacon said the city "locked down" Five Mile Park briefly after the accident.

She also said the city is about to install signs stating the park is closed after 10 p.m. Chacon said city police also have conducted more patrols there.

An email to Bryan Evans, the city's defense attorney in the suit, requesting comment and other information was not answered.

The lawsuit alleged an unlicensed juvenile was driving when the crash occurred.

According to the suit, Gloms was riding in a Jeep with three other boys near a firing range of Five Mile Park the late afternoon of Jan. 24, 2023.

It alleged the boy behind the wheel did not have a license when he was doing "donuts" in the Jeep.

"This manner of driving, in combination with the ground surface within the shooting range, caused the Jeep to roll over," the filing stated. "When the Jeep began to roll, Jayden Gloms became stuck under the Jeep, which had flipped and landed on him."

A Tucumcari police report stated Jayden was hanging out of a passenger-side window and wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

Paramedics and the Office of Medical Examiner determined Jayden had died at the scene.

Hundreds attended Jayden's funeral at Rattler Gymnasium. His death prompted the cancellation or postponement of several boys and girls basketball games and a wrestling meet.

The lawsuit alleged the city had been aware for years that people had driven to the shooting range for recreational purposes and encouraged the use of trails for all-terrain vehicles at the park, calling it "a danger to park visitors."

Timothy Rose, the district attorney at the time, said he received a 10-page investigative report on the crash from the police department. He said the Juvenile Probation Office had a meeting with the boys and their parents, but declined to give other details.

Steven Gloms filed a second lawsuit against the city, alleging violations of the Inspection of Public Records Act regarding his attorneys' attempts to obtain records on Five Mile Park and accident reports.

That suit also was dismissed.