BELLEVILLE — A construction company is being sued for allegedly causing a fatal crash.
Gershenson Construction Co. Inc. and Levi C. Gramlisch were both named in the lawsuit filed in St. Clair Circuit Court by James Kinsey Sr., as administrator of the estate of Mary Kinsey; James Kinsey Jr.; Danny Kinsey; and Blake Nichols.
The plaintiffs claim that on July 12, 2022, Mary Kinsey was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox on IL-158 when Gramlisch, driving a truck owned by Gershenson, struck Mary Kinsey's vehicle.
The defendants had a duty to exercise due care and caution and failed to do so, according to the suit. The defendants failed to yield the right of way and failed to obey the traffic control device at the intersection.
"Gramlisch failed to apply the brakes or failed to apply the brakes in time to keep from losing control of the vehicle and causing it to strike the vehicle traveling westbound on IL-158," the complaint states.
The plaintiffs claim Mary Kinsey died as a result of the accident and was survived by her minor sons, James Kiney Jr. and Danny Kinsey.
The minor sons have experienced grief, sorrow and mental suffering and are deprived of the services of their mother, according to the suit.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000 with pre- and post-judgment interest. They are represented by Shaun M. Lieser of Lieser Law Firm in St. Louis and Thomas Keefe III of Keefe, Keefe & Unsell in Belleville.
St. Clair Circuit Court case number: 23-LA-1032