DALLAS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The city of Dallas said on Thursday it reached an agreement with Ford Motor Co. where the automaker will supply the city with safety data on its Crown Victoria police car, which has been involved in deadly fuel-tank fire accidents.
A spokeswoman for Ford disputed the city's claim that an agreement has been reached, saying Dallas has always had access to sworn depositions on safety tests.
Dallas sued Ford in December seeking sworn testimony from Ford engineers on the widely used police vehicle.
Dallas City Attorney Madeleine Johnson said in a press release her office reached an agreement in which Ford will provide it with information on measures the automaker has taken to minimize the risk of a fuel-tank fire on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Johnson said the agreement provides that depositions will be held in conjunction with another pending lawsuit in a case involving the Crown Victoria police vehicle in Cleveland, Ohio.
"There has been no negotiation on this. There has not been an agreement that has been reached," said Kathleen Vokes, a spokeswoman for Ford.
"Ford has been providing information all along in conjunction with the multi-district litigation (MDL). Dallas has agreed to get that information, along with everyone else, through the MDL process," Vokes said.
At least 14 police officers have been killed and 11 others hurt in fires triggered by fuel tanks that ruptured in rear or side collisions of Crown Victoria police cruisers in the past 10 years, safety advocates said.
Ford said that over 80 percent of the police vehicles in North America are Crown Victoria Police Interceptors.
In October, Dallas police officer Patrick Metzler was killed when his Crown Victoria burst into flames after it was rear-ended at high speed by a drunk driver.