Riverside widow sues fire truck manufacturer

Friday, August 8, 2008

Riverside widow sues fire truck manufacturer

Widow sues fire truck company for 1987 LODD

UPI

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A fire truck manufacturer was responsible for a 1987 fire truck collision in Riverside County, Calif., that killed one firefighter, a lawsuit alleges.

Kathryn Kanton, whose husband Chris was killed in the crash, alleges in her federal lawsuit that Spartan Motors Inc. was responsible for the deadly crash since the Michigan-based company did not provide adequate upkeep of the vehicle involved, the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise said Tuesday.

Kanton's 23-year-old husband had been stationed at Moreno Valley Station 58 when the Spartan fire truck he was riding in hydroplaned off an interstate. He was thrown from the vehicle into a nearby grove of trees and suffered fatal injuries.

A defense physics expert has alleged that the vehicle went out of control because of additional weight from a rear water tank.

Court records show that Spartan has denied the allegations, but a settlement conference has been scheduled in Los Angeles for Aug. 18, the newspaper said.

We are dedicated to designing products that improve the safety of emergency-rescue workers and have pioneered many of the innovations that have become standard in the industry," the manufacturer said in a statement.

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Friday, August 8, 2008