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AccidentMinor injuries were reported in a four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Tennant Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard March 16. The accident was reported 6:48 a.m.The driver of a dump truck that flipped over in a two-vehicle collision suffered major injuries and was transported by helicopter to San Jose Regional Medical Center. The accident occurred on Monterey Road near the intersection of Burnett Avenue, about 3:20 p.m. March 14. The truck driver suffered head trauma as a result of the accident. The driver of the other vehicle was also transported to Regional Medical Center.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves broke into a vehicle on the 14700 block of Monterey Road and defecated inside. Stolen from the vehicle were money, registration papers and charging devices. The crime was reported 1:42 p.m. March 16.Someone broke into a GMC pickup outside Safeway grocery store, 840 E. Dunne Ave. Stolen were money and tools. The crime was reported 8:08 a.m. March 17.A thief or thieves broke into a Nissan Versa parked at In n Out, 895 Cochrane Road, and stole a bag. The crime was reported 5:17 p.m. March 15.Stolen vehicleA green 1997 two-door Honda Civic and a red four-door Honda Civic were stolen from parking spots on Wright Avenue. The crimes were reported 8:26 a.m. March 15.Dogs running looseA man was out jogging with his dog on a leash when two unleashed pet canines approached and bit his dog. The loose dogs were described as an Australian shepherd mix and a greyhound. The incident was reported 5:04 p.m. March 16 on Monterey Road.TheftSomeone broke into a cluster of mailboxes at an apartment complex on La Alameda Drive. The crime was reported 8:06 a.m. March 17.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

New lighting and crosswalk signals installed in downtown Morgan Hill recently are designed to make the neighborhood safer for pedestrians, according to city staff.The improvements, which have been in the works since late 2015, include new in-ground flashing lights at the Third Street crosswalk at Monterey Road. Pedestrians activate the lights by pushing one of four buttons located at each corner before they cross Monterey Road.These lights are expected to be operational by early next week, according to City Manager Steve Rymer.Rymer gave an update on the city’s downtown pedestrian safety improvements at the March 15 city council meeting. He noted that the council has previously agreed to install these flashing lights at the Third Street crosswalk before trying similar measures at other downtown intersections.City crews also recently installed overhead lights in the Monterey Road median at the First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Street crosswalks. These lights are designed to improve motorists’ nighttime visibility of pedestrians as they cross these intersections.The council also unanimously approved a $306,000 contract with Mike Brown Electric Co. to install a traffic signal at Monterey Road and Fourth Street at the March 15 meeting. The five-member body previously directed city staff to begin the process of installing this signal, and implement more lighting and other pedestrian safety measures, in September 2015.Installation of the Fourth Street traffic signal is scheduled to begin in April, and complete by July, according to city staff.The city’s goal in redeveloping the downtown—a process that started vigorously in 2015—is to attract visitors and new residents, while making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, according to city staff.Other safety improvements downtown that are unique to the neighborhood include bright orange hand-held flags that pedestrians can carry across key intersections to make themselves more visible, resurfacing and narrowing of Monterey Road vehicle lanes and the installation of signs labeling the right travel lane on both sides of Monterey as a bicycle lane.Downtown was the site of two accidents involving pedestrians in 2016. On July 4, two children were struck by a Jeep and injured while crossing Fourth Street at Monterey Road. On March 12, 2016, two women were struck by a Ford while they were crossing Third Street at Monterey Road.Both accidents occurred at night.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the purpose of the brief filed by the city council. City Attorney Don Larkin clarified that the “amicus” brief approved by the council in closed session March 15 indicates the city’s support for Santa Clara County’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, and lists concerns that the city thinks the federal court should take into consideration regarding the county’s complaint. The story below has been updated to reflect this clarification.

Three young girls and their family members will again be spared from reliving the sordid details of a child molestation case involving their former grade school teacher after an $8.25 million settlement was finalized March 15 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Auto burglary

March 15 update: Attorneys for the three victims' families and MHUSD agreed to the $8.25 million settlement in Santa Clara County Superior Court March 15. Also as part of the settlement, MHUSD will implement predatory identification training for staff and curriculum for students.An $8.25-million settlement agreement between Morgan Hill Unified School District and the families of three victims of a former teacher who is now in prison for molesting children will go before the school board for formal approval in a closed session tonight.Attorney Robert Allard, who represents the families of children who were sexually assaulted by fifth grade teacher John Loyd, confirmed that MHUSD officials agreed to pay the families $8.25 million. The settlement will include other, non-monetary terms, but the full agreement requires the school board’s approval before it can be approved by a Superior Court judge.Allard’s spokesman, Ed Vasquez, previously confirmed the monetary part of the settlement March 11.Though MHUSD officials aren’t commenting on the agreement reached over this past weekend, Allard said the matter is “completely settled” as far as the victims’ families are concerned.The district has called for a special closed session meeting at 5 p.m March 14 to discuss the case. Under "Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation," the meeting agenda lists three cases "Jane Doe1," "Jane Doe2," and "Jane Doe3," all v. Morgan Hill Unified School District with corresponding case numbers.The young female victims and their families sued the district in 2015 for allowing Loyd, 55—the girls’ fifth grade teacher—to molest the children while they attended his class at Paradise Valley Elementary School on LaCrosse Drive. The complaint accused the district of turning a blind eye while Loyd violated state education laws and district policies that left him alone with the children in his classroom.In August 2015, Loyd pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with four of his fifth-grade female students, all of which occurred at the school. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.Non-monetary terms of the settlement could include to what extent the district will be required to implement new training programs for staff and students on how to identify a sexual predator.After the Times received numerous anonymous reports that a settlement had been reached outside court, Allard and Vasquez confirmed this training was part of the agreement March 11. However, they later walked back that statement because such a requirement depends on approval by the MHUSD board, Allard said Tuesday.MHUSD officials declined to comment on the settlement before Tuesday’s closed session board meeting."Both parties have an obligation under the gag order not to speak to the media," said MHUSD Communications Coordinator Kimberly Beare in an emailed response to The Times. "Until a settlement is reached, we will be abiding by that order."The 2015 complaint filed by three of the victims’ families alleges that Loyd created opportunities to be alone with the female fifth-grade students in the classroom, in violation of state education laws and school district policies. It also claims the district disregarded a series of complaints about the teacher’s conduct, which included a tendency by Loyd to “play favorites” with some of his female students.The claim also alleged that Loyd was directed by his supervisor to retain children in his classroom during lunch and recess periods, which is a violation of state education codes that mandate all students must be out of the classroom during these times.Loyd also reportedly covered his classroom windows with paper, obstructing any view inside and out.Loyd taught at MHUSD from 2000 until his arrest in 2014. He began teaching in the district at Nordstrom Elementary School, and was transferred to Paradise Valley on LaCrosse Drive in south Morgan Hill in 2008.The incidents to which he pleaded guilty took place on four separate occasions from late 2012 to October 2014, according to court documents.Allard disagreed with the school district’s position on the gag order, which he said “expired” as soon as the parties agreed to a settlement, leaving no jury to influence. He added that the school district is sticking to its position on the gag order “because they want to restrict the ability of my clients to speak freely.”Allard sent a statement to the Times Saturday, March 11, but later asked to hold off on publishing it because it addressed settlement conditions not yet approved by the MHUSD board. He said he “did not want to unduly influence the school district through the press. We wanted to give them the opportunity to do the right thing when it came down to finalizing the non-monetary terms.”The March 15 hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court will begin at 10 a.m. All terms of the $8.25-million settlement will be disclosed at that hearing.

The jury in the Cody Flores murder trial delivered a split verdict for the two defendants Friday, March 10 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.

Live Oak improved to 4-4 overall thanks to wins over King City and Kings Academy on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

The Live Oak softball team went 3-1 in the Circle of Champions Tournament in Salinas, falling in the title game to Notre Dame-Salinas 6-3.