A woman and her children have filed suit against the carriage company she claims was transporting her and her husband when it was struck by a vehicle, resulting in her husband’s death.
Renee McKelvey, Shaun McKelvey and Steven McKelvey filed suit July 18 in the Galveston County District Court against D. Steffens Inc., doing business as Island Carriages, and Joe Hodson.
According to the complaint, Renee McKelvery and her husband, Bob McKelvey, were celebrating Renee’s birthday in Galveston where they hired defendant Island Carriages to transport them to dinner July 21, 2012. After finishing dinner, the McKelveys were traveling back to the hotel in the carriage when the accident occurred, according to the complaint.
Michael Shane Grayson Jr. was driving down 21st Street and struck and destroyed the Carriage Company’s horse-drawn carriage in which Bob and Renee were riding, the suit states.
Because of the collision, Renee suffered severe injuries while her husband died the following day, the complaint says.
Renee McKelvey and her two sons, Shaun and Steven, have suffered mental anguish and have lost their husband’s and father’s companionship and society, they claim.
Joe Hodsdon was driving the carriage at the time of the collision. Renee McKelvey names him and Island Carriages as defendants, saying they were liable for the collision because Hodsdon drove the carriage along a main route, drove too close to the main lanes of traffic, drove below the normal flow of traffic, drove with inadequate lighting and drove outside a safe route.
The McKelveys seek actual damages, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and other relief the court deems just. They are being represented by attorney S. Scott West of The West Law Firm in Sugar Land.
Galveston County District Court case number 14-CV-0764.
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Galveston County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.