Hinsdale Couple Who Lost Son Stalk Car Wash Owners: Court Filing

HINSDALE, IL – The main owner of Fuller's Car Wash is seeking a restraining order against a Hinsdale couple whose son was killed next to the car wash.

In a court filing last week, Doug Fuller asked a DuPage County judge to approve a no-contact order. A public relations firm spread the word about it.

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In the filing, Fuller alleges that Brian and Kristine Richards, parents of the late Sean Richards, have stalked him, as well as co-owners and employees.

In response, the Richards family said the allegations were unfounded.

They said their 14-year-old son was killed because of the car wash's "recklessness."

They called the court filing "another desperate and shameful attempt by the Fullers to change the narrative by casting themselves as victims and diverting attention away from their conduct."

In July 2023, a Fuller's employee fatally struck 14-year-old Sean Richards, a pedestrian, with a car at the wash.

The Richards family sued the car wash. But shortly before the Fullers' depositions, the family filed for bankruptcy.

In December, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled that the car wash purposely hid its assets because of the lawsuit.

Since 2023, the Richards couple and their allies have pointed to what they said are safety problems around the car wash going back to the 1990s.

In his filing, Doug Fuller acknowledged the tragic crash, saying it was the result of a teenage employee's actions.

Shortly after the crash, Fuller said, Brian Richards told him that they would only be even if Fuller would let Richards "get a jeep and go 35 mph and run you over."

"Since then, Kristine and Brian Richards have been aggressively stalking, following, recording, and defaming the Fullers, to the point that the Fullers fear for their safety and the safety of their children and grandchildren and have suffered emotional distress," Fuller said.

The filing stated that Kristine Richards follows one or more of the Fullers several times a week and drives her car around Fuller's Car Wash and Fuller's Service Center daily.

Fuller contended Kristine Richards drives around the Fullers' houses, often stopping or driving slowly to take photos or videos. He listed 14 alleged instances since April 2.

On April 8, the filing said, Kristine and Brian Richards walked to co-owner Susan Groenewold's house and followed her nephew as he drove a truck two blocks back to the service center.

Fuller said Kristine Richards texted friends not to go to Fuller's businesses, a message that circulated in Hinsdale.

He said the message spread at Hinsdale's St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church, where the Richards family attends.

Fuller said his grandchildren, who are in second grade and kindergarten at the church's school, were harassed by other students and were told that their grandfather killed a boy.

"The harassment was so pervasive that the children had to transfer to a different school," Fuller said.

On July 23, 2025, the filing said, Kristine Richards approached employees of the Fuller's Home & Hardware store in Hinsdale and called them "murderers." The filing said she then smeared dog feces on the car driven by a Fuller family member.

Fuller said the video was available and that the incident was reported to police.

In a statement this week, the Richards couple pointed to the car wash's safety record. They said that in recent years, cars flew out of Fuller's car wash bay, across the sidewalk and two lanes of traffic, causing major physical damage.

"The Fullers took no precautions to prevent a fourth occurrence," the couple said. "Instead, without any training, they gave the keys to a 16-year-old three days after he received his driver’s license and on his first day on the job, he ran over Sean."

They said they filed their wrongful death suit for the truth, accountability and public safety.

They also noted the bankruptcy judge's ruling that accused the Fuller's Car Wash owners of gross mismanagement, self-dealing and general incompetence.

"Yet the Fullers have continued, despite the judge's findings, to run their businesses in a manner that endangers the public and enriches themselves," the Richards couple said. "We will not allow this vindictive, personal attack by the Fullers on our family to deter us from obtaining the truth, accountability and public safety for everyone."

The crash occurred on July 17, 2023. Sean Richards was walking on a public sidewalk from the orthodontist's office to the local library when a Fuller's employee struck him with a car.

The worker ended up crashing into Fontano's restaurant, injuring customers.

The employee was charged with three traffic violations, but not any criminal offenses.

A hearing on Doug Fuller's filing is set for June 9 at the DuPage County Courthouse.