The mother of a Columbia teenager who died in a Sept. 1 crash on Hanover Road has filed a wrongful death suit in Monroe County Circuit Court.

This comes following criminal charges filed recently against the 16-year-old driver of the vehicle in this crash, which had united Monroe County in tragedy as the families involved dealt with unimaginable grief.

Filed on Feb. 24, Trevor Stawizynski was charged as an adult in Monroe County with aggravated DUI (accident resulting in death), aggravated DUI (accident resulting in great bodily harm), and reckless homicide (motor vehicle). See the charging document in full by clicking here.

The aggravated DUI charges allege Stawizynski drove a 2013 Nissan Altima while under the influence of alcohol when it crashed about 3 p.m. Sept. 1 in the 4100 block of Hanover Road. The aggravated DUI involving death charge is a non-probational Class 2 felony, with a conviction resulting in a sentence of 3-14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections or Juvenile Justice Center. The aggravated DUI involving injury charge is a non-probational Class 4 felony punishable by 1-12 years in IDOC or a juvenile center.

The reckless homicide charge, which is a Class 4 felony, alleges that Stawizynski, while acting in a reckless manner, performed acts likely to cause the death of or great bodily harm to another in that he operated a 2013 Nissan Altima in a westerly direction along and upon Hanover Road at a time when he was under the influence of alcohol and was operating said vehicle at an excessively dangerous speed, and that the car skidded from the roadway and collided with a tree on the driver’s side, causing the car to break apart and eject Crawford Bryant as a passenger from the vehicle, thereby causing Crawford’s death.

Bryant, 15, a Columbia High School sophomore who was a member of the school’s soccer team, was pronounced deceased on scene by the Monroe County Coroner’s Office. Another occupant of the vehicle – fellow CHS student Jacob Nelson – was airlifted to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, while two other CHS students were transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Nelson survived the crash but is still recovering from his injuries.

The Illinois State Police stated in a press release shortly after the crash that “preliminary reports indicate that a Waterloo Police Department officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Route 3. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle was discovered on Hanover Road, involved in a single-vehicle crash.”

Stawizynski, represented by attorney Justin A. Kuehn, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during a March 6 court appearance before Judge Chris Hitzemann. He is scheduled to next appear in court on May 8.

Tara Luhr, mother of the late Crawford Bryant and special administrator of his estate, filed the civil lawsuit on Monday against Stawizynski and an adult relative. 

Court documents in the wrongful death suit allege fault by Stawizynski, claiming he “negligently and carelessly” failed to properly brake and operated the vehicle “at a rate of speed that was high, excessive, dangerous and not reasonably safe.”

The lawsuit filed Monday also alleges negligent entrustment by an adult relative of Stawizynski, as she “knew or should have known” Stawizynski was “likely to use (the car) in a manner involving an unreasonable risk of harm to others.”

Luhr is seeking damages in an amount greater than $75,000 for grief, mental anguish and burial expenses in the civil lawsuit.

Luhr’s attorney is Samantha Unsell of the Keefe, Keefe & Unsell law firm of Belleville.