EDWARDSVILLE - A mother is suing on behalf of her son after he was allegedly injured when an intoxicated motorist allegedly caused a crash while talking on a cell phone.
Shamarla Clanton filed suit on behalf of her son, Antonio, on May 1 in Madison County Circuit Court. Clanton is suing the driver, David Curtis, and a bar, Roper's Reagle Beagle Bar and Grill in Godfrey, where Curtis was allegedly drinking before the collision.
Curtis has a criminal charge of driving under the influence linked to the collision still pending in a Madison County Circuit Court, according to public records.
According to the complaint, Clanton and her son were in a 1995 Ford Mustang on Nov. 15, 2019 and stopped at a red light on Godfrey Road in Alton.
Curtis, the driver of a 2019 Dodge Caravan, allegedly hit another vehicle, which then struck the Mustang.
Clanton claims Curtis failed to keep a proper lookout, drove while distracted, failed to stop, or failed to reduce his speed. The plaintiff alleges Curtis was speaking on a cell phone and was intoxicated.
Antonio Clanton allegedly suffered injuries to his back and chest, needed medical treatment and continues to suffer from pain, according to the complaint.
Roper's Reagle Beagle is accused of selling alcohol to Curtis before the collision. The driver's intoxication was allegedly one of the causes of the collision, and was directly linked to him consuming alcohol on the premises, the suit states.
The plaintiff, who is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, is represented by John C. Webster of Williamson, Webster, Falb & Glisson of Alton.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2020-L-0620