Wrongful death suit filed in case involving Wood County teen

23.05.12

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in Wood County Circuit Court in the death of a 14-year-old Wood County girl, who died as the result of a Washington County car crash.

David Fitchett, as administrator of the estate of Madison Fitchett, filed suit against Dustin M. Jones, 21, of Mineral Wells, who was driving the car in which Madison Fitchett was a passenger.

According to the complaint, on the evening of Oct, 29, 2011 Jones took Fitchett to Athens for the Halloween block party. Jones made plans with Fitchett to go without her father knowing, the suit states.

In the suit Fitchett alleges Jones' car was not safe and was not properly insured or licensed in West Virginia.

Prior to the accident, Jones was pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol concerning a burned out headlight in his 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Around 3:24 a.m. Oct. 30 a high-speed chase between Jones and a highway patrol trooper began.

The accident was on Township Road 298, the suit states, while Jones was fleeing southbound from a patrol vehicle driven by Sgt. Todd McDonald. A trooper attempted to stop Jones for the headlight violation on U.S. 50 near Little Hocking. McDonald said Jones quickly turned off U.S. 50 and made it about a half-mile on the township roadway before crashing.

Source: Marietta Times