CHARLESTON – A man is suing Triad Engineering after he claims one of its employees was driving while intoxicated and caused a car accident.
Anthony Howard Keeney was also named as a defendant in the suit.
On Jan. 7, Richard Dillon Pritt was lawfully and properly operating a Dodge Ram vehicle eastbound on Kanawha Terrace and, as he approached a four-way intersection, he began to slow his vehicle for traffic in front of him, according to a complaint filed March 28 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Pritt claims as he brought his vehicle to a stop, Keeney, who was operating a 2013 Toyota Tacoma owned and/or controlled by Triad, struck violently in the rear of Pritt’s vehicle.
Keeney was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol and had a Blood Alcohol Content that was .304, which is more than three times the legal limit for operating a vehicle in West Virginia, according to the suit.
Pritt claims Keeney failed to maintain control of his vehicle, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to travel at a speed appropriate for the existing traffic conditions, was driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and was guilty of negligence per se, which proximately caused a violent collision between both vehicles.
Triad negligently entrusted its vehicle to Keeney when it knew or should have known that he had a long-term problem with alcohol and/or substance abuse both during the course of his work duties and outside his work duties proximately causing the collision between the vehicles, according to the suit.
Pritt is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the amount of $500,000. He is being represented by John Einreinhofer of the Law Offices of John Einreinhofer and Herbert L. Hively II.
Keeney has a hearing on an aggravated DUI charge on April 18 in Kanawha Magistrate Court.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Tod J. Kaufman.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 16-C-439
