CARIBOU, Maine — The widow of a Caribou firefighter killed in a vehicle crash is suing the driver and owners of the truck that allegedly struck his car.
In the lawsuit, filed March 3 at Aroostook County Superior Court in Caribou, Shelby Raymond alleged that driver Vincent Smith and Traditional Trucking Corp. of Kansas wrongfully caused the death of her husband.
Daniel “Danny” Raymond, 57, a captain with Caribou Fire and Ambulance, was killed on March 22, 2023, when a 2017 Freightliner box truck driven by Smith allegedly veered into the other lane, striking Raymond’s 2004 Pontiac Vibe. Raymond died at the scene. Heavy snowfall was occurring and both vehicles swerved into a ditch, police said at the time.
The lawsuit was amended on March 21 to include another defendant: The Onyx Collection Inc., a maker of bathroom fixtures and an affiliate of Traditional Trucking. Smith had been hauling material owned by Onyx, according to court records.
“Commercial trucking companies and their drivers have an enormous responsibility to public safety,” said Shelby Raymond’s attorney, Travis Brennan of Lewiston, on Thursday. “In this case, we believe Traditional Trucking Corporation and their driver drove too fast for the road conditions and crossed the center line, leading to the death of a beloved community member.”
Brennan believes the company and its driver must be held accountable for their actions, he added.
Raymond is suing for compensatory damages, interest and costs, according to court records. No dollar amounts were specified.
The eight-page lawsuit alleges Smith was negligent, was not paying attention to the road conditions and was liable for Raymond’s death.
“The Pontiac Vibe was crushed so completely, it became fused to the front of the truck,” the suit stated.
Other counts include that the companies are vicariously liable for Raymond’s death due to failure to inspect vehicles and train their drivers properly, and that Smith and the companies caused Raymond pain, suffering and fear of impending death, according to court records.
Defense attorney David Very of Portland filed a response on March 10 on behalf of Smith, Traditional Trucking and The Onyx Collection, alleging they were not at fault in Raymond’s death.
The defendants denied multiple claims from the lawsuit, including that Smith was driving too fast for conditions, that his negligence caused Raymond’s death, that Traditional Trucking and Onyx are liable and that they failed to maintain vehicles and train drivers appropriately, according to court records.
The response alleged that Raymond’s negligence was greater than Smith’s and called for reduction in damages.
No other records were available.
