Suit says woman failed to indicate stop and caused wreck

GALVESTON - Andrew Ethington blames Josephine B. Wydermyer for a crash between them which occurred last year.

According to a lawsuit filed March 21 in Galveston County District Court, Ethington's vehicle crashed into the rear of Wydermyer's along a League City street on Oct. 21, 2011. The suit claims Wydermyer did not properly signal she was going to brake.

The plaintiff traveled northbound behind the defendant on the outside lane in the 200 block of Egret Bay Boulevard prior to the collision.

"The defendant's motor vehicle came to an abrupt stop with no rear indication of braking and/or stopping to the plaintiff causing the plaintiff's vehicle to strike the defendant's vehicle in the rear," the suit says.

"In that the plaintiff had no warning of the defendant slowing or stopping her vehicle, the plaintiff was unable to avoid colliding with the defendant's motor vehicle."

Ethington adds he discovered that Wydermyer had two unrestrained children - ages 1 and three, respectively - in the front seat of her vehicle, asserting one of the toddlers struck or kicked the gear-shift to force an abrupt stop.

The defendant is blamed for failing to keep a proper lookout and failing to maintain a safe distance between her and Ethington.

Consequently, the complainant seeks unspecified monetary damages.

He is represented by attorney J. Michael Hughes of League City.

Galveston County 56th District Court Judge Lonnie Cox is presiding over the case.

Case No. 12-cv-534