New York News

Stewart's Lawyer Moves Wrongful Death Case To Federal Court

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas
Published August 25, 2015 at 4:57 PM EDT
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The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a driver killed by NASCAR star Tony Stewart's car on a western New York dirt track has been moved from state to federal court. The action was submitted Friday.

Buffalo lawyer Brian Gwitt is representing Stewart in the suit filed by Kevin and Pamela Ward. Their son Kevin Ward Jr. was fatally struck when he walked onto the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9, 2014.

Gwitt justified the move to federal court because the Ward family lives in upstate New York and Stewart lives in Indiana. The Wards' attorney, Richard Meadow, hasn't said if he'll challenge the move.

Ward's parents requested a jury trial seeking unspecified monetary damages. The filing by Stewart's attorney states the Ward family is expected to seek more than $75,000 in damages.

© 2015 AP

New York NewsNASCARNascar lawsuitTony StewartKevin Ward Jr.
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Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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