The family of a Washington Park auxiliary police officer who fell to his death during a foot pursuit in 2018 are suing the construction companies for allegedly failing to maintain a safe work site during construction on the Poplar Street Bridge.
Jacquelynn Davis and Romero Davis, independent administrators of the estate of Ricardo Davis Sr., filed the seven-count complaint Oct. 27 against KCI Construction, Thomas Industrial Coatings, and D&K Welding Inc. in St. Clair County Circuit Court.
According to the complaint, Ricardo Davis, 44, was employed as a Washington Park auxiliary police officer. He was in a foot pursuit of suspects in the line of duty at 3 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2018, when he allegedly fell through an opening on Poplar Street Bridge. The fall caused his death, the suit states.
According to his obituary, Davis leaves behind three daughters and three sons.
At the time of the incident, the bridge was under construction by KCI Construction, Thomas Industrial Coatings and D&K Welding. KCI Construction subcontracted work to the other two defendants.
“That at the same time and place, KCI retained control over the construction through its contract with the State of Missouri,” the suit states.
The suit states that “a general contractor controls operative details of the work done by its subcontractors, it assumes an agency role and therefore a duty to maintain a safe construction site and to protect others from the acts and/or omissions of its subcontractors.”
The plaintiffs claim the defendants owed a contractual duty to maintain a safe work site.
The defendants are accused of breaching their duty by negligently failing to maintain the construction site and surrounding area in a safe condition, failing to provide proper safety oversight on the construction project, failing to warn of the hazardous conditions, failing to supervise its employees, failing to stop work at the construction site, violating safety standards, and storing its equipment in a way that caused danger to the decedent and others.
As a result Ricardo Davis fell to his death. He sustained “numerous, severe, disabling, disfiguring and fatal injuries to his body and suffered physical and mental anguish.”
The plaintiffs also became liable for medical expenses.
The plaintiffs seek a judgment in excess of $50,000 for each count plus court costs.
They are represented by Jason Caraway of Caraway, Fisher & Broombaugh PC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 20-L-833