Family of man killed on Tecumseh Road says lawsuit a form of justice

The family of a man struck and killed on Tecumseh Road nearly a year ago said a wrongful death lawsuit is a form of justice they can take since no one has been charged in his death.

Lawrence J. Mason, 45, of Medway, allegedly was struck and killed by a silver 2015 Dodge Durango on Tuesday, Sept. 6, according to a state patrol crash report. Mason was standing on the east shoulder of North Tecumseh Road in Bethel Twp. near U.S. 40 when he was hit, the crash report says, and the vehicle allegedly fled the scene.

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“It’s been a year. I can’t believe nobody has come forward to give our family some relief on just who did it,” his cousin Janet Elam said.

Jordyn N. Mason is the daughter of the crash victim and the administrator of his estate. She filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Clark County Common Pleas court on Aug. 11.

She has sued Eliot and Kristine Baggs, owners of the SUV identified on the state patrol crash report as allegedly involved in the crash. The lawsuit seeks medical and burial costs, and other damages in excess of $25,000.

The Springfield News-Sun called the Baggs’ home and were told by a man who answered that they were unavailable for comment.

Jordyn Mason declined to comment and her attorney, Kenneth Ignozzi, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

Mason was hit outside of his sister Christina Cole’s home on Tecumseh Road. He was helping her move in. Cole said she and the entire family haven’t been the same since he died.

RELATEDFamily wants driver in deadly Clark County crash to come forward

“How could you do that to somebody … Our family has struggled with this for a year now. Not knowing who did it, somebody knows,” Elam said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol Springfield Post was investigating the death, but it since has been turned over to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

The family hopes the state office will take action soon.

“Somebody needs to be charged … There’s crashes out here that happen every day and their cases are already being charged, they are already serving their time,” Elam said. “Where this one, it’s a year later and we are still left in the open not knowing who killed my cousin.”

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