A lawsuit filed in federal court accuses Colorado State Patrol troopers of covering up for the former Garfield County sheriff after the sheriff caused a car crash that severely injured a Littleton family.

In November 2009, Verne Soucie, the former sheriff, ran a red arrow on Colorado 82 in Eagle County and turned left in front of the Rivard family’s car, according to the suit.

In the resulting crash, David Rivard suffered third-degree burns and a broken sternum. Rivard’s wife, Leanne, suffered a concussion. And the couple’s now 9-year-old daughter, Cameron, suffered an ankle injury and still has nightmares about the accident, the lawsuit said.

The Rivards contend that authorities let Soucie, who was also injured in the crash, off easy.

“Because he was a former sheriff, it appears he was given breaks that wouldn’t be allowed to ordinary citizens involved in a major injury traffic collision,” said attorney Timothy Rastello, who is representing the Rivards.

“This was not a fender-bender,” Rastello said. “Both cars were totaled.”

It is unclear whether Soucie or the named troopers — State Patrol Capt. Rich Duran, Sgt. Richard Armstrong and Trooper Mark Barritt — have been served with the suit.

Soucie did not return telephone messages, and State Patrol officials have not responded to a request for comment.

Rastello said troopers never checked Soucie for impairment after the crash and didn’t seek out witnesses.

A summons that Barritt said he issued to Soucie somehow was lost and never resulted in charges, Rastello said. It wasn’t until Rastello pressed the authorities that Soucie was reissued a citation for careless driving, he said.

That charge, though, was pleaded down to one of “improper mountain driving,” which carried a $35 fine. The Rivards did not know about the plea agreement until afterward, Rastello said.

Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, who is not named in the suit, denied giving Soucie special treatment, saying the plea deal was typical for that kind of careless-driving offense.

Hurlbert said state law does not require prosecutors to notify victims of plea deals in such careless-driving cases.

“We try to notify victims in all cases,” Hurlbert said, “but we can’t always do that.”

The Rivards are seeking an unspecified amount of money in compensatory and punitive damages, the lawsuit said. Rastello said the crash has meant David Rivard — a keyboard player who works for an instrument maker and sometimes performs professionally — will suffer lifelong harm.

John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com