Missouri Accidents: A Lawsuit Filed and a Young Boy Killed

Mount Olive, MOA man whose wife was seriously injured in a Missouri car accident is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to recover the money he has spent on his wife's medical care. The Madison Record reported on 4/19/10 that the victim has been in a coma since the accident occurred in 2008.


The plaintiff, who is representing his wife, has filed the lawsuit against Golden Eagle Spotting Company, HUB Group, HUB City Terminals and Aaron M. Cope, the driver of the tractor-trailer truck that caused the collision. The lawsuit alleges that Cope failed to keep a proper lookout, followed the vehicle before him too closely, drove too fast and failed to slow down when he became aware that a collision would occur.

The lawsuit claims that the injured party, Alesia M. Craig, suffered serious and permanent injuries to her head, neck and back and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The lawsuit alleges that medical costs for round-the-clock nursing care are in excess of $600,000. The victim has lost approximately $50,000 of income since the accident and will lose further $25,000 of future income per year. He seeks more than $750,000 plus costs.

The accident occurred on Interstate Highway 70, near the intersection with Missouri Highway, when Cope struck Craig's vehicle.

Another Missouri accident last week resulted in the death of a 12-year-old boy. According to the Examiner on 4/16/10, the accident allegedly occurred when Clayton R. Dunlap attempted to swerve into the westbound lane of Missouri 71 at a high speed. His vehicle reportedly struck a center median and overturned, sliding down the road and hitting another vehicle. The victim, Damian Slayton, was killed instantly. The victim's mother was also injured in the crash and has no memory of the incident.

Dunlap has been charged with second degree murder. The Examiner reports that two weeks prior to this accident, Dunlap was involved in an incident that resulted in charges of resisting arrest, driving with a revoked license and driving while intoxicated. He had approximately 20 driving convictions and did not have a driver's license when the accident occurred.