Woman Sues Town in Son's Death

The mother of a Fairfield man who died in June - nearly two years after he was involved in an accident with a Town Department of Public Works' pickup truck in Fairfield's Southport neighborhood - is suing the town, claiming injuries and the death of her son were the result of the accident.

Barbara J. Keller, the administratrix of the estate of her son, Kenneth M. Keller, who died June 12 at the age of 43, says in the lawsuit that her son suffered trauma to his pancreas and kidneys and aggravation of a pre-existing pancreas and kidney transplant and pancreatic condition; aggravation of a pre-existing renal condition; and strain, sprain and spasm to his lumbar and right and left shoulder. She also lists "death" as being the result of the "negligence and carelessness of the defendants."

Named in the lawsuit are the town of Fairfield's DPW and Thomas S. Johnson, who was driving the DPW pickup truck in the Aug. 26, 2008 crash near the corner of Mill Hill Terrace and High Meadow Road in Fairfield's Southport neighborhood.

Keller claims Johnson was driving the pickup truck at an excessive rate of speed and failed to keep the pickup "under proper and reasonable control" and "failed to keep a proper lookout for motor vehicles on the highway." She also faults Johnson for failing to turn his pickup truck to avoid the collision, apply his brakes in time or sound his horn.

Keller, represented by Fairfield attorney Christine D. Brown,  is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Town Attorney Richard Saxl said that, as far as he could tell, Keller did not die as a result of injuries sustained in the accident, adding that the accident was not very significant. The death certificate for Kenneth Mark Keller lists cardiopulmonary arrest as the immediate cause of his death, with diabetes and hyperkalemia listed as "significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in the underlying cause" of the immediate cause of death.