Marissa accident blamed on distracted driver

A driver and his passenger allege they were seriously hurt in a rear-end crash at a Marissa intersection.

Larry L. Ramsey and Eileen M. Little filed a lawsuit against John B. Allen Jr. on Aug. 26 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

According to the complaint, Ramsey was behind the wheel of Pontiac G6 stopped at the the intersection of Lyons Road and Pinckneyville Road. Little was a passenger in the car. Allen, driving a Ford 500, in the same direction "became distracted and violently struck the rear" of the stopped Pontiac, the complaint states.

Ramsey and Little accuse Allen of negligence for allegedly failing to keep a proper lookout and failing to drive at a speed reasonable for conditions. They say they were "violently thrown" inside the car, causing injuries to their backs, necks and internal organs.

Ramsey and Little each ask for more than $50,000 for medical expenses, pain and mental anguish. Attorney Dominic Kujawa of Belleville represents them.

The case number is St. Clair County Circuit Court case 14-L-611