Nebraska Woman Injured in Cannon Blast Settles Lawsuit

May 6, 2014

A woman injured by a cannon blast in south-central Nebraska has settled her lawsuit.

The Kearney Hub says the Gosper County Board of Commissioners was informed of the settlement last week. The notice had come from the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association. The settlement amount has not disclosed.

Authorities say the homemade cannon was positioned in an area where people were coming and going during a community celebration in Smithfield on July 3, 2009. An attorney for the Doyle Daake, who made the cannon, says Kanda Garrelts walked around the cannon after it was lit and that she ignored warnings.

Garrelts had sued Smithfield and Daake, and Smithfield filed a subsequent action against Gosper County.