Rajendrakumar Shah, a visitor to the United States from India, was killed when he was hit by a truck. Shah was in the United States visiting with family in Illinois and attending the wedding of a family member at the time of his tragic death.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, Shah was hit by a truck while crossing the street. The driver of the truck did not stop after hitting Shah. Shah later died at the hospital due to his grave injuries. He passed away on June 6, 2013, on his 61st birthday.
Shah’s estate administrator, Nimisha Shah, has filed a wrongful death action in the Cook County, Illinois Circuit Court. The defendant is listed as the driver of the truck, twenty-three year-old Michael T. Epley.
Mr. Epley was previously criminally charged for the death of Shah as was the woman who owned the truck. Mr. Epley’s criminal charges include aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and failure to stop after causing an accident involving personal injury or death. Additionally, he was ticketed for other traffic offenses. Mr. Epley’s court appearance is scheduled for mid-April.
Shah’s wrongful death action alleges that Epley was driving the Ford F-150 at the time of the crash and that he was negligent when he hit Shah. Further allegations include a failure to keep a proper lookout for a pedestrian, operation of a vehicle at an excessive rate of speed, failure to sound his horn prior to the crash, and failure to render aid to Shah. The lawsuit does not include a specified amount of damages being sought.
