Sixth lawsuit filed after fatal Megabus crash
BY LEEANN SHELTON Staff Reporter August 28, 2012 2:06AM
Updated: August 28, 2012 2:06AM
A sixth lawsuit was filed Monday against Megabus over a downstate crash that killed a 25-year-old graduate student at the University of Missouri.
Leah Crites and her daughter Hannah Crites, of Missouri, were both injured in the crash, according to the suit. They blame Megabus and the driver for failing to keep the bus and its tires safe and road-ready, and claim the driver was not qualified to drive it.
Hannah Crites allegedly saw traumatic and fatal injuries in the crash and is left with “severe emotional distress,” the suit claims. Their six-count suit claims at least $300,000 in damages.
Theirs is at least the sixth lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the bus company in the wake of the crash.
The double-decker Megabus carrying 81 passengers slammed into a concrete bridge support pillar along I-55 near Litchfield, Ill. on Aug. 2. Forty-seven people were hurt and 25-year-old Aditi R. Avhad, a native of Mumbai, India, and a student in health administration at the University of Missouri, was killed.
Megabus could not be reached for comment.
Last week in a statement, Dale Moser, president and COO of Megabus.com said: “All of our staff at megabus.com are deeply saddened by the incident that took place in Litchfield and our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to those involved.”
He added: “The incident is still under investigation by the authorities and we will continue to lend our support in this investigation.”
