Trucking company and driver sued over I-55/70 fatality

The mother of a deceased woman has filed suit against Specialized Transport and one of its drivers, alleging her daughter was killed when the driver rear-ended the car in which she was riding.

Beverly J. Travis claims Katrenia I. Travis was seated in the back seat of a vehicle being driven north on Interstate Highway 55/70 from St. Clair Avenue in East St. Louis on April 2, 2008, when the incident occurred.

"That at the above-mentioned time and place the Defendant, Charles E. West Jr., was operating a 2007 Freightliner tractor-trailer truck when he overtook and rammed the vehicle in which Katrenia Travis was a passenger and collided with said vehicle, causing injury and death as hereinafter set forth," the suit filed Nov. 5 states.

Katrenia Travis left behind her son, mother, father and sister, according to the complaint.

Because of her death, Katrenia Travis' family have suffered loss of financial contribution and household services and have lost large sums of money, pecuniary losses, financial support, labor, services, care, guidance, love, affection, moral training and superintendence of education, the complaint says. In addition, they say they have incurred funeral and medical expenses.

West negligently failed to reduce his speed to avoid a collision, failed to exercise reasonable care, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to yield the right-of-way, failed to properly apply his brakes and drove too fast, according to the complaint.

In the two-count suit, Beverly Travis is seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, plus costs.

She will be represented by Christine E. Anderson and Fritz G. Faerber of Faerber and Anderson in St. Louis.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-602.