INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana mother and father have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a semi-truck driver and the company he worked for after the death of their son.
Court documents allege semi-truck driver Dieuson Leron did not have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at the time of the crash that killed Eamon Goodrich, 9, of New Albany.
The crash happened on July 25, 2024, on I-465 near Old US 31 on the south side of Indianapolis.
Eamon’s father, Chris Goodrich, and his little sister, Brynn, both survived the crash.
The three were on their way home to New Albany from a summer vacation in Michigan while Eamon's mother, Natalie, worked on her new business.
The goal was to make a lot of family memories before school started.
“The trip was great,” said Chris.
According to a crash report, a semi-truck driver was speeding and following too closely in a construction zone when he crashed into the Goodrich family’s car.
"I don’t have any memory of the accident at all,” said Chris. “We had just stopped and gotten gas and chocolate shakes, and then I woke up a couple of days later in the hospital."
Natalie raced to the hospital in Indianapolis.
“I wasn’t actually told until I was face to face with Sgt. Elwood that my boy was gone," said Natalie.
Eamon loved reading and video games, especially Zelda. His parents wear shirts as a way to celebrate their son.
“It’s a take on the Zelda logo but with an E for Eamon,” said Chris.
Chris and Natalie Goodrich say another way they’re honoring Eamon is by telling the world what happened on I-465 should not have happened.
"It really sounds like it was more than just a freak accident,” said Natalie. “It sounds like choices were made and the choices that were made did not keep our son safe."
They filed a wrongful death lawsuit on December 20 against:
- Dieuson Leron, semi-truck driver
- Forward A2B Inc., motor carrier based in Illinois
- Solomon Bros LLC, vehicle owner based in Illinois
The lawsuit alleges Leron did not have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at the time of the crash, “carelessly and negligently followed too closely” and “failed to reduce his speed.”
The complaint also alleges the trucking companies failed to screen and supervise their drivers, as well as failed to implement safety policies and procedures.
"There’s accountability of the driver and of the business willing to let this situation even happen,” said Natalie.
Records show the driver violated the Hours-of-Service rules, which are meant to keep tired drivers off the road.
Specifically, the report shows the driver was supposed to stop for a break before his 11th hour of driving but instead “continued to drive for another 23 minutes.”
PREVIOUS | Truck driver over allotted hours at time of deadly crash | Unsafe speed to blame in crash that killed 9-year-old boy
"It seemed more about dollars than safety and that meant I don’t have a son anymore,” said Natalie.
WRTV Investigates checked again this week and found multiple safety violations that prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to place Forward A2B “Out of Service” and deemed them “unfit” to operate.
That means Forward A2B can’t operate until the federal government determines they’ve addressed safety issues.
WRTV Investigates emailed and called Forward A2B and Solomon Bros, but we were unable to reach anyone — in fact, several numbers are now out of service.
No attorneys are listed in the court record for the companies or the driver.
Chris Goodrich is still struggling with injuries to his brain, eyes and vocal cords.
"I can't sing to my daughter like I used to," said Chris Goodrich.
Chris and Natalie are struggling with the quiet.
"We don't hear our kids arguing anymore or picking on each other," said Chris.
They hope their lawsuit prompts important change.
"If we can keep another family from having to put their 9-year-old in a box, then we are going to do that,” said Natalie.
The criminal investigation into the crash is still underway.
No criminal charges have been filed against the semi-truck driver.
