The two drivers of a tractor trailer have filed suit against the truck driver who they claim attempted to make a U-turn in a travel plaza and struck the vehicle they were driving.
Ronald L. and Maryellen F. West claim they were driving a 2011 Volvo tractor-truck combination on Sept. 10, 2010, at the Pilot Travel Center located at 820 Edwardsville Rd. in Troy. They parked their vehicle in the travel center and were sitting in the front of it when the incident occurred, according to the complaint filed Aug. 28 in Madison County Circuit Court.
Defendant Ernest Alan Tufft, who was driving another Volvo tractor-truck in the same plaza, "made a U-turn to proceed in the opposite direction to the weight scale in the parking lot when such movement could not be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic," the suit states.
In turn, Tufft struck the vehicle in which the Wests were sitting, the complaint says.
Because of the collision, the Wests claim they suffered severe and permanent injuries to their heads, necks, shoulders and bodies and became lame and disordered. They also suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, incurred substantial medical costs and lost wages, according to the complaint.
Tufft negligently failed to keep his vehicle under proper control, failed to keep a proper lookout for other vehicles, failed to reduce his speed to avoid a collision, drove too fast and turned in the opposite direction when the Wests' parked vehicle obstructed his way, the suit states.
In their complaint, the Wests are seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs.
They will be represented by William J. Mateyka of Mateyka and Associates in Granite City.
Madison County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-1368.