A family that lost a loved one in a hit-and-run accident has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the woman that admitted her responsibility, as she has yet to be charged due to her "powerful" status in the community, as reported by City Pages.
A.S. admitted that she was guilty of a hit-and-run accident that killed A.P., more than a week after the event, yet she has not been arrested.
A.P.'s family filed the wrongful death lawsuit, naming both A.S. and her husband J.S., on September 6. They claim that they can no longer wait for the police to act and are pursuing justice themselves.
J.S. is a retired Vikings player, sports media personality and the couple own four restaurants.
A.P., the head chef at True Thai Restaurant, was truck by a Mercedes-Benz SUV, while getting gasoline at a station on I-94.
There was some confusion as to which of the two, A.S. or J.S., drove the Mercedes-Benz at the time of the fatal collision.
Attorneys representing the couple said, "Now that various legal matters have been clarified regarding a potential criminal case and civil lawsuit, it is now appropriate to disclose that the driver in this incident was (A.S.). There have been many complex and overlapping issues involved in the investigation of this case which have made it inappropriate to release the name of the driver until this time."
Once the couple turned over the car to state police blood was found on the hood, and a bobby pin, earrings and the cap from a Mike's Hard Lemonade was found in the car's interior.
The attorney representing the family, Jim Schwebel, said, "The (S.) family has really put a lid on this. There's a lot of frustration in the community, with people thinking that the rich and powerful don't have to answer for what they've done."
Schwebel claims that A.S. and J.S. waited 10 days before acknowledging - in a fax that ran one-sentence in length - that A.S. had indeed been behind the wheel of the vehicle at the time of the accident, before she chose to flee the scene.
In pursuing the lawsuit, the family is also looking to find out for themselves if A.S. was alone in the car and if she had been drinking alcohol.
The suit is seeking damages "greater than $50,000" and "whatever a jury is willing to award, given the facts of the case."
The requested sum is a blanket legal term that would allow a jury to have no maximum in its award.
Schwebel said of his clients, "They only want fairness. This is a first-generation immigrant family that does not have a lot of experience with the American system of justice, and they're frustrated."
When facing the pain of losing a loved one in a wrongful death closure can help - whether in a monetary award or in bringing about change. You must contact a wrongful death attorney to assist you.