Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In Black Road Crash

JOLIET, IL - A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed at the Will County Courthouse in connection with a 2016 crash along Joliet's stretch of Black Road near the bridge traveling over Interstate 55. Around 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2016, Ewa Cebula was entrusted with the care of Joylene Bournas, who was elderly, the lawsuit states.

That afternoon, Cebula was driving a black 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivan west on Black Road, toward Shorewood, approaching the intersection of Northwest Frontage Road.

"Joylene was a restrained passenger who was traveling in the minivan that Cebula was operating," states the plaintiff's Joliet law firm Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol.

Meanwhile, Anthony Rojas was driving a green, 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, as he headed eastbound on Black Road, that same afternoon, Sept. 11, 2016. The lawsuit states that Rojas was coming over the bridge above I-55 and approaching the intersection of NW Frontage Road.

Moments later came a violent two-vehicle collision involving Rojas' car and the minivan; this caused the airbags to deploy inside the minivan transporting Bournas, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Ewa Cebula "failed to obey visible traffic control devices, a traffic light with a solid red signal controlling her direction of travel."

Several other acts of negligence were also raised in the wrongful death lawsuit, which states that Joylene Bournas ultimately died April 24, 2017.

"Joylene left surviving as her only rightful heir, Jean Dahlben, her daughter, who was dependent upon plaintiff's decedent ... for her support and as a proximate result of the careless and negligent acts ... of Cebula, has suffered injuries in her means of support and other direct pecuniary damages caused by the death of her mother including the loss of society, companionship, felicity guidance and instruction as a result of the wrongful death of plaintiff's decedent."

The lawsuit demands a judgment against the defendants, both drivers involved in the wreck, in an amount of more than $50,000 plus the legal costs associated with filing the suit.

Image via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor