(Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version)
EDWARDSVILLE – A Dram Shop suit alleges a drunken driver became intoxicated and then crashed into a Granite City home, killing the homeowner.
Plaintiffs Karen LaFrance and Leonard Ohren, as representatives of the estate of their mother Virginia Ohren, filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against defendants Nickally Corp. doing business as Nick's Bar & Grill and Tegan's Pub House, LLC, citing loss of society and personal injury in breach of the Illinois Dram Shop Act.
According to the lawsuit, Virginia Ohren was sitting in her Granite City home on July 5, 2021, when a vehicle crashed into her residence and struck her, ultimately killing her. The plaintiffs allege the vehicle was driven by Jonathan Beasley. The lawsuit states that Beasley became intoxicated before crashing into Ohren's home.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the loss of their their mother along with compensation for her pain, suffering and emotional distress that she endured after sustaining fatal injuries.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. They are represented in this case by the attorneys of Cates Mahoney, LLC in Swansea.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2022LA000801