Bus driver claims injuries in crash with Grand Marquis

A bus driver says she sustained arm, wrist, low back and leg injuries after the driver of a Mercury Grand Marquis struck the bus.

Felicia A. Reed filed a lawsuit Dec. 29 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Antoinette D. Bradley.

Reed claims she drove a 2001 Gillig bus east on Curtis Steinberg Road in Sauget on Jan. 1, 2008, at about 6:52 a.m. when Bradley, who drove the 1993 Mercury west on the same road, struck her.

"That at the aforementioned time and place, Defendant, Antoinette D. Bradley, caused her vehicle to change lanes and collided into the front end of the bus being operated by Plaintiff, Felicia A. Reed, thereby directly and proximately causing injuries to Plaintiff as hereinafter described," the suit states.

Because of the accident, Reed became sick, sore, lame, disordered and disabled; received injuries to her muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves; and incurred medical costs, according to the complaint. In addition, she suffered disability and loss of a normal life, experienced pain and suffering and suffered lost wages, the complaint says.

Reed blames Bradley for failing to keep a proper lookout, for failing to keep her vehicle entirely within a single lane, for moving from within a single lane without first determining that it was safe to do so, for changing lanes without yielding the right-of-way, for driving too fast, for failing to keep her vehicle under proper control and for failing to stop.

Reed seeks a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs.

John H. Fredrick Jr. of Spector, Wolfe and McLaughlin in Kirkwood will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-692.