Shriners sued after Minnesota man died driving stunt cart before parade without helmet
A Minnesota woman is suing Shriners International saying the organization is responsible for her husband’s death.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Jan. 9 on behalf of Audrey Colligan, names Shriners International and Osman Shriners, its Minnesota chapter, as defendants.
Audrey’s husband, Ryan Colligan, had recently been elected to serve as 2025’s Potentate, or president, of the Osman Shriners. He died after being involved in a crash while driving “a dangerously top-heavy stunt car” without a helmet, according to court records.
The stunt car, built by an Osman Shriners member, was used in an Aug. 10 parade and had never been operated by Colligan until that day, the lawsuit said.
The event was to be Colligan’s 190th Shriner parade to raise money for Shriners Children’s medical facilities, according to the lawsuit.
While familiarizing himself with the stunt car and parade route, Colligan, driving at about 15 miles per hour, tried to apply the brakes and flipped the vehicle, court records show.
Colligan hit his head on a curb and lost consciousness as “massive amounts of blood” began to pool around him, records show.
Bystanders performed CPR before Colligan was taken to a hospital where he died a few hours later, records show.
Following Colligan’s death, Shriners banned the stunt car he was driving and began requiring parade participants operating vehicles to wear helmets, records show.
The lawsuit says Shriners’ negligence, specifically in not mandating helmets, caused Colligan’s death. The lawsuit demands a jury trial and seeks more than $50,000 in damages.
“Ryan Colligan was an elected Shrine leader who we understand was held in high regard by area Shriners,” a Shriners International spokesperson told McClatchy News on Jan. 14. “Due to the pending lawsuit, we are advised that we aren’t able to say more at this time about a Shriner who had a positive impact on the lives of many others.”
McClatchy News reached out to Osman Shriners Jan. 14 for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Shriners International is known for its network of nonprofit pediatric medical facilities, according to the lawsuit.
