WARREN Woman files suit against former police officer over crash

The former police officer has filed for a disability retirement.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Niles woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that a former city police officer caused an auto crash that injured her.
Carrisa Walsh of Garfield Street, Niles, filed the lawsuit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. The suit has been assigned to Judge W. Wyatt McKay. No hearing date has been scheduled.
Named as defendants were Charles E. List Jr., of Kinsman, a former city police officer; John J. Habosky, owner of Jade's Villa, Parkman Road N.W., Warren; Ken Dar, owner of Walter's Bar, West Market Street, Warren; and Douglas D. Reinhard of Cortland.
The defendants could not be reached to comment.
Walsh is seeking more than $25,000 in damages. She states that the crash caused her severe and permanent injuries, medical bills and lost wages. The suit does not state her injuries. Neither Walsh nor her attorney, Brendan J. Keating, could be reached.
Passenger in car
According to the suit, Walsh was a passenger in List's personal car when List crashed his vehicle Sept. 13 on Tod Avenue in the city.
List, a 13-year veteran of the Warren Police Department, has pleaded innocent to charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault.
If convicted of all charges, List could face a maximum of 15 years in prison. List is free on $25,000 bond while his case is pending.
List has filed for disability retirement from the police department. The request is still pending, city officials said.
The suit states that List was drunk and speeding.
"While trying to operate his vehicle on a curve in the road, List, negligently failed to maintain his vehicle within its designated lane of traffic thereby negligently allowing his vehicle to travel across the double yellow center line and into oncoming traffic," the suit states.
List's car collided head-on into a Ford pickup truck driven by Reinhard. The suit says Reinhard was speeding. Reinhard has not been charged.
The suit also states that List drank at his own bar, Finish Line Cafe, as well as Jade's Villa and Walter's Bar before the crash. The suit states that because the bars furnished liquor to List before the crash, the establishments "proximately caused" the auto collision.
List, 34, was off duty when the car he was driving crashed.
Passenger died
A back-seat passenger, Harry E. Lamson Jr., 50, of Larchmont N.E., Warren, died shortly afterward. Walsh and another woman passenger were injured, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Reinhard, who was wearing a seat belt, was treated at a local hospital.
Neither List nor his three passengers were wearing seat belts, reports say.
The patrol has said List's blood alcohol level was over the legal limit of 0.10.
sinkovich@vindy.com