SARPY COUNTY (KMTV) — It's been just a little over a year since four Gretna High School teenagers were killed in a crash, and now those parents have filed a tort claim against Sarpy County, stating that "poor roadway designs" and "reckless" actions by the county were a factor in their daughters' death.
The claim hones in on the roadway and a guardrail near the site of the single-vehicle crash.
Abby Barth, Alex Minardi, Addisyn Pfeifer, and Kloe Odermatt all lost their lives when the car they were in was speeding and went off the road on Platteview Road in rural Sarpy County. Roan Brandon was the only survivor.
The parents are also claiming that Sarpy County failed to warn drivers of the dangerous road and failed to prevent other crashes.
In a statement released to the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday, the parents said, "We believe improvements can be made to that section of the road that will avoid these types of accidents in the future, and if we can spare other families from suffering this same anguish, we intend to explore all options to make that happen."
The parents are seeking wrongful death damages, loss of financial support, funeral, medical expenses and past and future earning potential for each daughter.
The parents said in the statement that the tort claim isn't a lawsuit against Sarpy County but was filed to preserve their legal options.
Investigators stated that the car was traveling 90 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone when the crash occurred. Barth, the driver of the car, also was intoxicated at the time of the crash according to investigators.
The county has six months to respond to the new claim.
