Parents of man killed in crash sues trucking company, others

The mother of a 21-year-old Blakely man killed when a tractor-trailer struck the disabled vehicle in which he was a passenger filed a lawsuit against the trucking company and two other drivers.

Rhonda Walsh is seeking damages for the Jan. 24, 2016, death of her son, James Douglas Walsh.

According to the suit:

James Walsh was a passenger in a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by his friend, Jesse Mayne of Archbald. The car became disabled after it collided with a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Daniel Winder of Muncy in the northbound lane of Interstate 81 in Dorrance Twp.

Walsh and Mayne were trapped in the Monte Carlo. Mayne eventually extricated himself and went to check on Winder, while Walsh continued to try to free himself. A tractor-trailer driven by Erby Lewis Sims of Chicago then slammed into Mayne’s vehicle, killing Walsh.

The suit, filed in Lackawan­na County Court by attorney Lawrence Moran Sr., alleges Sims was negligent for failing to see Mayne’s vehicle, despite the fact Winder turned on his flashers to alert other drivers to the wreck. The suit also faults Mayne and Winder for their involvement in the initial crash.

The suit names several defendants, including Sims, Mayne and Winder, as well as Summitt Transportation Group and Trailer Leasing, both of Clarksville, Indiana, and Cardin Logistics of Atlanta.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

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