Jury rules in favor of Ford KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 6 (UPI) -- A jury determined Ford Motors was not at fault for a 2003 crash that killed a Missouri state trooper and severely injured Michael Nolte. The Monday decision concluded the monthlong trial in which Nolte accused Ford of faulty manufacturing, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported. Nolte was sitting in the back seat of Officer Michael Newton's Crown Victoria patrol car after he was pulled over May 22, 2003, for driving for too long in the passing lane when they were rear-ended by a truck towing a trailer going 65 miles per hour. The car's fuel filler tube was torn in the collision, causing the car to burst into flames. Nolte was heavily burned and spent 65 days in the hospital undergoing skin grafts and surgeries. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and will suffer pain for the rest of his life. Grant Davis, Nolte's attorney, told the jury Nolte has considered suicide. While the jury decided not to find Ford at fault, Nolte will be awarded $8.5 million in damages to be paid by the truck driver's employer. "While Ford's sympathies go out to the Nolte family, we agree with the jury that Ford should not be blamed for Mr. Nolte's injuries," said Jim Feeney, the attorney representing Ford.