Driver who attempted to pass funeral procession blamed in accident

A man claims a driver rear-ended him after another driver attempted to pass a funeral procession.

Lamar D. Jackson filed a lawsuit April 23 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Albert Ransom, Jonathan Reich, Kansas City Southern, Kansas City Southern Industries and the Kansas City Southern Railway Company.

Jackson claims he drove his 2004 Lexus GS 400 south on Interstate 255 near the Mousette entrance ramp in Centreville on April 29, 2008, at about 3:25 p.m. when Ransom, who drove a Buick in the same direction, rear-ended him. Ransom struck Jackson because of Reich, who drove a 2004 Ford truck in the same direction for Kansas City Southern and its subsidiaries. At the time of the collision, Reich attempted to pass a funeral procession, according to the complaint.

Because of the collision, Jackson sustained serious, severe and permanent injuries; suffered mental pain and anguish; incurred medical costs; and lost sums of money from his usual employment, according to the complaint.

He blames Ransom for causing the collision, saying he failed to keep his vehicle under proper control, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop or take evasive measures to avoid a collision, drove without adequate brakes and drove too fast.

Jackson also blames Reich for the collision, saying he failed to keep his vehicle under proper control, failed to keep a proper lookout for vehicles, failed to stop or take evasive measures to avoid a collision, failed to give a proper signal, failed to yield the right-of-way to a funeral procession and passed a vehicle in a funeral procession.

In his six-count complaint, Jackson seeks a judgment of more than $300,000 but less than $450,000, plus costs.

Thomas B. Cannady of Cannady and Katz in Shiloh will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-196.