On the fourth day of a damages-only trial for a lawsuit involving a Collinsville collision, Madison County Circuit Judge Christopher Threlkeld granted a motion for mistrial.
Defendant Ruben Vital moved for a mistrial against plaintiff Jonathan Snyder on March 3 at 10:20 a.m. Court documents do not specify why a mistrial was declared, and the parties’ attorneys have not yet responded to requests for comment.
A motion hearing regarding Vital’s request for sanctions is set for March 28 at 9 a.m.
Threlkeld gave the parties five days to submit briefing on the sanctions motion.
The trial began on Feb. 28 and was expected to last four or five days.
Snyder is represented at trial by Andrew Mundwiller of The Cagle Law Firm in St. Louis.
Vital is represented at trial by Daniel Bradley of Rynearson Suess Schnurbusch & Champion LLC in Fairview Heights.
According to a joint statement of the case filed Feb. 22, Vital allegedly caused a collision on Nov. 13, 2018, in Collinsville. Court documents state that Snyder was traveling northbound on St. Clair Avenue. As Snyder neared his residence, Vital was backing out of a private driveway onto St. Clair Avenue and collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle.
The court previously found Vital was negligent, so the jury was asked to determine damages.
Threlkeld granted partial summary judgment on Oct. 19, 2021, after Snyder moved for summary judgment on the issues of Vital’s liability.
In Vital’s answer to the complaint, he denied liability and argued that Snyder’s alleged injuries were caused by “his own conduct in operating a vehicle too fast for conditions and failing to keep a proper lookout.”
Madison County Circuit Court case number 19-L-783