Drivers on both sides of I-255 sued by man caught in crosshairs

A Belleville man claims he sustained injuries after an allegedly intoxicated driver abandoned his vehicle while it sat in the middle of a lane on Interstate 255.

Victor Bryan Webb filed a lawsuit Aug. 19 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Stanley Anderson and Jeffrey A. Foster.

In his complaint, Webb alleges he drove a 2006 Ford F-150 in the right hand lane of Interstate 255 northbound on Oct. 23 at about 8:11 p.m. when the collision occurred.

As Webb drove, he encountered Anderson's black 2006 Cadillac, which Anderson had driven onto the shoulder of the road, according to the complaint. Subsequently, Anderson's vehicle hit the guard rail and spun out of control, landing in half of Interstate 255's right-hand lane, the suit states.

"As a result of the portion of the Cadillac that Anderson was driving and the lack of lights on the vehicle, the Plaintiff who was traveling in the right-hand lane of Interstate 255 was forced to brake and swerve to the left suddenly to miss the Cadillac," the complaint says. "The momentum of his efforts to avoid hitting the stopped Cadillac forced him to swerve left and strike the median on the left side of northbound Interstate 255."

After hitting the median, Webb's Ford spun into oncoming traffic where it stalled, he claims. Webb turned on his lights and hazards, then stepped away from his truck, according to the complaint. However, realizing he forgot his cell phone, Webb returned to his truck, the suit states.

As Webb was retrieving his phone, Foster, who was driving a 2007 Ford Mustang north on Interstate 255, crashed into Webb's truck, causing him to sustain injuries, the complaint says.

Because of the collision, Webb claims he incurred medical costs.

He blames Anderson for partially causing the collision, saying he negligently blocked a portion of the road, abandoned his vehicle while it sat in the middle of the road and improperly drove. In addition, Anderson negligently failed to use his headlights, drove too slow and drove while intoxicated, according to the complaint.

Foster is also named as a defendant because of his alleged inability to reduce his speed to avoid a collision, improper usage of lanes, failure to keep a proper lookout and speedy driving, the suit states.

In his three-count complaint, Webb seeks a judgment of more than $150,000, plus other relief the court deems just.

Robert D. Rowland of Goldenberg, Heller, Antognoli and Rowland in Edwardsville will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 11-L-467.