Judge declares mistrial in widower's case
A Fulton County judge has declared a mistrial in a case brought by a man whose wife died in a 2003 taxi cab accident on I-85.
State Court Judge Susan Edlein did not immediately set a new trial date for Ed Heller, who is suing former Atlanta taxi cab inspector Greg Shepard and United Express Cab Co. Heller's wife, 51-year-old hospital consultant Patricia Heller, died instantly when her taxi struck a tree on the slick roadway on her way downtown from the airport.
The tires on the cab, which passed a city inspection the day before the fatal crash, were found by police to be bald. Earlier this week, the Georgia Department of Transportation, a once a defendant in the case, apologized to Heller and his two children and agreed to pay a $600,000 settlement.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
