Judge asked to dismiss lawsuit involving death of 6 Warren teens
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Attorneys representing the city and Trumbull County have asked a judge to dismiss a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against them by the families of three teens who died in a March 2013 car accident on Niles-Warren River Road.
The law firm of Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder of Cleveland filed separate responses to the lawsuit on behalf of both the city and county commissioners and county engineer.
The lawsuit, filed in September, alleges that the guardrail, road, curbs and berm near the accident scene were not properly maintained and led to the fatal accident, which killed six Warren teens.
In the responses, the county and city deny many of the allegations or deny that they have information to answer allegations contained in the lawsuit.
The county response says the roadway in the area of the accident and the guardrail involved are the city’s responsibility.
It is just north of the city limits, about a mile south of downtown.
The city’s response says the driver of the car involved in the accident, Alexis Cayson, 19, “negligently, wantonly, recklessly and/or intentionally drove the ... vehicle into a guardrail, off of County Road 69, and into a body of water where it became partially submerged.”
The county’s response similarly says Cayson “negligently and recklessly operated the vehicle.”
The administrators of the estates of Dylan Ray, 15; Kirklan Behner, 15; and Andrique Bennett, 14; filed the suit in Trumbull Common Pleas Court in September.
Cayson, who also died in the accident, was not named as a plaintiff or defendant.
Two other teen boys — Brandon A. Murray, 14; and Ramone M. White, 15 — also drowned. Two more teens — Brian K. Henry II, then 18; and Asher C. Lewis, then 15, — escaped the wreckage and survived.
Cayson was driving a sport utility vehicle south on Niles-Warren River Road, also known as County Road 69, with seven passengers. She had neither drugs nor alcohol in her system, investigators said.
She was traveling 62 to 70 miles per hour on a road with a speed limit of 35 mph when the SUV crossed the center line and hit a guardrail on the other side, then flipped over the guardrail and overturned into a pond.
Court officials say it is common for defendants to request dismissal of a civil suit when they file their initial response to it.
The suit is assigned to Judge Peter Kontos.