Family of woman run over by dump truck at Kansas City’s Zona Rosa sues driver, company
Family members of a 24-year-old pedestrian hit and killed by a dump truck in September at Kansas City’s Zona Rosa outdoor shopping mall are suing the driver and his employer, alleging the driver was reckless and responsible for her death.
The pedestrian, Abigail Stiner, was run over by a Kenworth dump truck near the intersection of N.W. 87th Street and N.W. Prairie View Road on Sept. 13. The crash occurred just outside the Old Navy, where a friend of Stiner’s said she had worked as a store manager.
The lawsuit was filed last week against Independence-based JDH Trucking, LLC and truck driver Andre Taylor of Independence. It is being brought by her parents in Platte County Circuit Court.
A person who answered the phone for the trucking company Thursday morning declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Lawyers for the Stiners allege the trucker drove recklessly, including failure to obey a stop sign or yield to a pedestrian. A judgment of more than $25,000 is being sought as the family has suffered mental anguish, loss of companionship and suffering, the lawyers said in the civil petition.
Daniel Singer, one of the attorneys, said the family’s primary concern is “making sure the people responsible for their daughter’s death are held accountable.”
“This is a really tragic case involving the loss of a wonderful young woman, and I hope that those responsible will do the right thing and accept accountability,” Singer said.
Kansas City police investigated the crash. According to police, the driver said he did not see Stiner when he was making the turn but felt a bump. He exited and found her underneath the truck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sgt. Jake Becchina, a KCPD spokesman, said the crash remains an ongoing investigation as Platte County prosecutors have not made a determination on a course of action.
JDH Trucking employs six drivers and is authorized to carry general freight, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Over the past two years, the company has reported only one crash resulting in fatality or injury.
The Star’s Anna Spoerre contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 10:53 AM.
