Barry Leyendecker died at the age of 69 on April 25th of this year, following a car accident two days earlier. He served in the Marine Corps for 10 years and was a Vietnam vet.
Our condolences to his widow, Roberta, his high school sweetheart and wife of 50 years.
On July 6th, Mrs. Leyendecker filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Jefferson County District Court against Gordon and Jerry Buchleiter, the two men she believes are responsible for causing the collision that claimed her husband’s life.
Gordon Buchleiter was towing an RV steered by his brother, Jerry, on that fateful day when the two lost control of both vehicles and wound up blocking both lanes of Highway 69. Barry Leyendecker crashed into their combined unit.
Mrs. Leyendecker is also suing Larry and Cynthia Chandler, whom she identifies as the owners of the RV involved in the accident.
Notice of the suit came as a surprise to the Chandlers, however, for they had sold the RV months before the accident. It was a simple mistake that should have been easy to correct, but they’re still trying to rectify it three months later.
“I’m scared to death,” says Mrs. Chandler. “We don’t own the RV, haven’t since last year. We don’t know what to do.”
The Chandlers provided documentation of the vehicle’s sale, but Mrs. Leyendecker’s attorney, Paul Ferguson Jr. of Provost Umphrey, has declined to speak with them or acknowledge the transfer of property, Mrs. Chandler said.
We don’t know Ferguson’s game plan, but there is no excuse for proceeding with a suit against an innocent couple who clearly have demonstrated that they were not the owners of the vehicle in question at the time of the accident.
Assuming that Mrs. Leyendecker has learned of the Chandlers’ innocence in the matter, she should direct Ferguson to drop them from her suit.
Why is Roberta Leyendecker suing Larry and Cynthia Chandler?
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY