Lawsuit filed in Amtrak crash; most victims identified
By Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal
Records searches by the Reno Gazette-Journal revealed Tuesday that the truck driver who plowed into an Amtrak train, killing six, had two additional speeding violations besides the four reported by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
Those two other tickets issued to Lawrence Valli included one for slamming his semi into the back of a Toyota Camry that had stopped on Interstate 80 in 2007 for an accident, sending a family of three to the hospital, the Gazette-Journal found.
But the speeding citations, and Valli’s other tickets for driving without insurance, without a seatbelt and talking on a cell phone, did not reach a level under Nevada law that would have allowed officials to suspend or revoke Valli’s license.
“It was apparent Mr. Valli was at least a very distracted driver if not a driver who’s conduct exhibited a disregard for the safety of others,” said Curtis Coulter, the lawyer for the Pinon family, which sued Valli and his employer, Volz Trucking Service, in 2009 for damages from the crash.
“That’s evident by the damage he did to the Pinon’s vehicle.”
A new lawsuit filed Tuesday also names Valli and the John Davis Trucking Company, claiming they were negligent for failing to heed the railway crossing gates and signals, and crashing into the Amtrak train.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Washoe County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office identified one more of the six crash victims as 34-year-old Cheuy Ong, of West Jordan, Utah. That leaves only one more of the six to be named.
Only two of the nine crash victims that were taken to Renown Regional Medical Center remained hospitalized Tuesday. One is in serious condition, and one in fair, the hospital said.