Driver sues over St. Clair County crash

A Belleville motorist has sued another driver over injuries allegedly suffered in a automobile accident caused by that driver.

Terry Crabtree filed a lawsuit April 15 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Stephen C. Andell of Belleville.

According to the complaint, at 2:54 p.m. May 14, 2014, Andell was operating a vehicle in Belleville, and Crabtree was stopped at a red light, in the left-hand lane of West Mascoutah Avenue, waiting to turn onto South Green Mount Road. After signaling to turn left, Crabtree turned left and was struck by Andell, the suit states.

The lawsuit states Andell failed to yield, keep the proper lookout, disobeyed the red light, drove too fast and violated road rules.

The suit says this resulted in Crabtree suffering from a ruptured ligament in the right thumb; loss and injury to his teeth; and his "bones, discs, joints, muscles, tendons, tissues, nerves, membranes, ligaments, vessels and other parts" of his body were either "bruised, contused, sprained, strained, cracked, wrenched, swollen, weakened, twisted [or] torn."

The plaintiff cites vehicular negligence, personal injury and property damage.

Crabtree seeks damages in excess of $50,000, as well as repayment for damages to his vehicle, plus costs. He is represented by attorney Brian Stokes of the Stokes Law Office in St. Louis.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 15-L-212.