The husband of a woman struck and killed by a fire truck is suing the fire department and one of its firefighters.
A lawsuit seeking at least $50,000 has been filed on behalf of Paul L. Riehm, administrator of the estate of Lorri J. Riehm, in Seneca County Common Pleas Court against Green Springs Rural Volunteer Fire Department and Seth T. Knieriemen of Green Springs, court records state.
Lorri Riehm, 53, of Tiffin, died after being struck and run over by a grass truck driven by Knieriemen at Beaver Creek Reservoir in June.
Seneca County Prosecutor Derek DeVine had said Seneca County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the investigation and determined no criminal charges were appropriate for filing. No drugs or alcohol were involved, and the driving wasn’t determined to be reckless, he said.
The lawsuit states Riehm’s death was tragic but avoidable.
“Lorri was an avid walker/jogger and would go to the reservoir on a regular basis to walk and/or run on the embankment trail because she felt it was scenic, safe and free from road traffic,” it states.
Crews initially were summoned to the reservoir for a report of a capsized boat.
Knieriemen had refueled the rescue boat, returned to the brush truck with the fuel can and was asked to take the truck to the crew so they could use it to pull the capsized boat out of the water.
He put the truck in reverse and drove it backwards on the embankment path, back toward the other crew members who were working to get the boat out of the water, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states a crew member observed Riehm walking in his direction and she had headphones in and her phone out. He noticed Knieriemen was about to back into her and screamed for him to stop, but Knieriemen had completely run over her by the time he stopped, the lawsuit alleges.
Riehm was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit alleges the brush truck had an obstructed rear view and the fire department did not provide any help to Knieriemen as far as a lookout, ground guide or spotter.
