WORTHINGTON -- A civil complaint filed recently in Nobles County District Court alleges negligence on the part of the city of Worthington, Worthington Township and Lorain Township.
The complaint, filed Oct. 22 by Brent Bartman as Trustee for Patrick Bartman, stems from a spring car accident in which Patrick, 25, and Kelli Jo Cordes, 24, were killed.
After the occupants traveled over the side of Bridge No. 2267 on Read Avenue just south of 240th Street, the vehicle landed upside down in a creek, their vehicle was submerged and they drowned. The two had last been seen in Adrian on April 25, were reported missing April 28 and were found May 2.
The civil complaint claims that the defendants are charged with the maintenance, repair, replacement, placement of warning signs and general upkeep of Read Avenue and the bridge, and that they were negligent in those areas, specifically that the defendants permitted or were directly responsible for the removal of safety signs, warnings, guardrails and safety rails from the bridge.
At the time of the accident, the guard rails on the bridge had been removed.
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Bartman is seeking pecuniary damages in excess of $50,000, reasonable reimbursement for the funeral and burial of Patrick Bartman, reasonable attorneys' fees and other relief.
Answers filed by the city of Worthington, Worthington Township and Lorain Township deny Bartman's allegations.
On May 10, Brent Bartman, Patrick Bartman's father, was cited for failure to produce proof of insurance and uninsured vehicle for the vehicle Patrick Bartman and Cordes occupied at the time of the accident.
