Pontoon Beach cop blamed for leaving intersection unguarded

A woman blames a Village of Pontoon Beach police man for causing an accident after he left an intersection unguarded.

Lindsey Davis filed a lawsuit May 21 in Madison County Circuit Court against the Village of Pontoon Beach.

Davis claims she drove west on Horseshoe Lake Road at its intersection with Route 111 in Nameoki on April 22 at about 11:35 p.m. when she and Gregory A. Riddlespriger, who drove south on Route 111, collided.

"That at the aforementioned time and place, the signal lights for both Horseshoe Lake Road and Route 111 were not functioning and had not been functioning for some time," the suit states. "That prior to the aforementioned collision, a patrolman with the defendant, Village of Pontoon Beach, had arrived at said intersection and had taken control of said intersection by activating emergency lights on his vehicle to warn oncoming traffic to the fact that the intersection lights were not functioning."

However, after an accident at a different location, the officer responded to the crash, leaving the intersection unattended and leaving drivers with no warnings, according to the complaint.

Because of the collision between Davis and Riddlespriger, Davis became sick, sore, lame, disordered and disabled; suffered extensive injuries to her head, body, limbs, left ankle, foot, right femur and left wrist; incurred medical costs; suffered disability; experienced pain and suffering; lost wages; and endured an impairment of his future earning capacity, the complaint says.

Davis blames the Village of Pontoon Beach for causing the collision, saying it negligently left the intersection without protection, left the intersection without a replacement and left the intersection knowing that no other entity would protect it.

In her complaint, Davis seeks a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs.

John H. Hustava of Collinsville will be representing her.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-553.