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May 14, 2008 9:47 pm US/Eastern
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Family Files Suit In Fatal PennDOT Truck Accident
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
A local family is demanding answers after their loved one was killed in a crash involving a PennDOT plow truck.
Charles Aymar, Jr., 63, of Tarentum, died after the truck crossed the center line and hit his van head-on in Frazier Township in February.
Since then, the family says they have heard nothing from investigators so they've filed a wrongful death lawsuit against PennDOT.
Valerie Aymar, the victim's wife, is still too shaken to speak about the accident.
"It was my sister's life. I mean she has nothing," Cathy Hamilton, Aymar's sister-in-law, said. "He's gone - what does she have now? In a heartbeat her life was changed."
The crash happened at about 4:30 p.m. The driver told investigators he lost control during a snow squall and never saw the van. He was not cited at the scene and returned to work three days later.
"No results. Nothing's happening. It seems like these people don't have to account for what they did," Dan Aymar, the victim's brother, said. "Where's the fairness at? You know, there's no fairness - let's be fair about the thing. I don't want the guy to get the electric chair, but I want him to pay."
Sources close to the investigation tell KDKA's Marty Griffin that the State Police accident report will determine the driver of the PennDOT truck hit a patch of ice, lost control of his truck, slid into the other lane of traffic and hit Aymar's vehicle head-on.
Critical to the family's lawsuit, sources also tell Griffin the investigation will determine there was no gross negligence on the part of the driver. Sources also say there was no alcohol or drugs in the driver's blood at the time of the accident.
Still, family members want some sort of punishment for the driver.
"He's out driving, nothing's happened to him," Hamilton said. "Why is there no charges? He was completely on the other side of the road?"
State Police are nearing the end of the investigation and they will submit their final report to the Allegheny County District Attorney's office as early as Monday. At that point, the DA's office will review the case for possible criminal charges.
However, KDKA's Marty Griffin has learned that it looks like there will be no criminal charges and there will be summary offenses issued to the driver of the truck.
There's no comment from PennDOT due to the circumstances of the wrongful death lawsuit.
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