BELLEVILLE — The father of a one-year-old boy who drowned in a pool is suing the homeowner for wrongful death.
Joseph Coleman, individually and as special administrator of the Estate of Bryce Coleman, filed a complaint Sept. 11 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Patricia McDonald, alleging wrongful death.
According to the complaint, Joseph Coleman alleges that on Sept. 9, his son, Bryce, was with his mother visiting McDonald's home. Bryce was nearly two years old at the time. Coleman claims that while Bryce's mother slept, the child wandered outside and "either fell or jumped" into McDonald's pool and drowned.
Coleman claims in his complaint that McDonald "could have eliminated or greatly minimized" the hazard of the pool through having a "proper" gate to keep the child out of the pool area or door alarm to warn the adults that the child had gone outside.
He alleges McDonald failed in her duty to "exercise reasonable care to eliminate the danger" of the pool and that she failed to supervise his son or inform his mother that she could not supervise his child.
Coleman seeks monetary relief of more than $50,000 and all other just relief. He is represented by John Hipskind and Brady McAninch of Hipskind & McAninch in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 20-L-0692