CHARLESTON - The mother of a man who was killed while walking on the side of the interstate late last year has filed a suit against the woman who hit him.
Deloise Childress filed the suit Dec. 18 in Kanawha Circuit Court on behalf of her son, Kent Brewer. The suit is against Sarah Elizabeth Preece of Louisa, Ky. The suit is also against the estate of Childress' daughter-in-law, Bethana Brewer, who also was killed on the scene.
According to the suit, Kent and Bethana Brewer were driving on I-64 westbound Nov. 7 near Cross Lanes when their Ford Escort ran out of gasoline.
The Brewers walked along the side of the interstate toward the Cross Lanes/Goff Mountain Road exit. At that time, the 23-year-old Preece was driving a 2007 Ford Focus, a rental from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
"Barreling onto the off ramp, Sarah Elizabeth Preece and her vehicle struck and killed Kent Brewer," the suit says.
The suit alleges that Preece was speeding, overdriving her headlights, failed to maintain a proper lookout and did not have control of her vehicle.
Deloise Childress claims Preece had driving deficiencies and should not have been allowed to drive the rental vehicle.
The suit also claims Bethana Brewer negligently operated her vehicle and caused it to become stranded, placing Kent Brewer in an unsafe and extremely dangerous location on the interstate.
Childress claims she has been deprived of her son's service, assistance, aid, society and companionship.
In the four-count suit, Childress seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
Attorney Andrew S. Nason is representing Childress. The case has been assigned to Judge Louis Bloom.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 07-C-2696
Civil suit filed over November deaths along I-64
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
