Deadly Crash On Larkin Ave. Prompts Civil Lawsuit

JOLIET, IL — Joliet attorney Frank Cservenyak has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a 21-year-old woman in connection with the Feb. 11 head-on collision along Larkin Avenue in Joliet that killed 75-year-old John McDade, who lived in Wilmington.

The Joliet firm of Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol recently filed the lawsuit against Kasandra Brown accusing the Lockport resident of negligence.

The crash victim's widow, Charlene McDade, is the lawsuit's plaintiff. A review of Will County court records shows that no traffic tickets or criminal charges have been issued by the Joliet Police Department in connection with February's traffic fatality.

According to the lawsuit, John McDade was driving north on Larkin Avenue around 3:45 p.m. near Douglas Street while Brown was driving south in the left most lane along Larkin.

"Kasandra Brown crossed over into northbound traffic on Larkin Avenue, whereby a violent, head-on collision occurred between the defendant's vehicle and the plaintiff's decedent, John McDade's vehicle," attorney Frank Cservenyak wrote.

The lawsuit accused Brown of several acts of negligence including: failing to exercise due care to avoid colliding with McDade's vehicle and failing to decrease the speed of her vehicle to avoid a crash with McDade.

John McDade was survived by his wife, and two adult sons, David McDade and Jeffery McDade "who have sustained pecuniary loss and damages including the loss of society, companionship, love and affection as a result of his death," the lawsuit states.

McDade grew up in Joliet and was in the Joliet Township High School marching band. He served in the U.S. Army and fought in the Vietnam War, his obituary noted.

"He was a long-time member of the Joliet Antique Auto Club carrying on his Father’s love of automobiles. He most recently served as the Treasurer of the club and hosted the annual auto club picnic at his residence on the Kankakee River," according to his obituary published by Carlson Holmquist & Sayles Funeral Home on Joliet's Black Road.