Teen struck by SUV while washing windows at McCandless restaurant sues driver
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A teenage employee at Longhorn Steakhouse who was struck by an out-of-control SUV and severely injured while she washed the McCandless restaurant’s windows last summer is suing the driver.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday by the employee’s mother, Christine Maher, in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, alleges negligence against Mary E. White, 81, of Beaver Falls.
According to the complaint, White was driving a 2014 Hyundai Tucson around 1 p.m. on July 18 when she lost control.
Police said White struck a pickup truck. Then, the lawsuit said, White jumped a curb and struck a tree before crashing into the front entrance of the restaurant on Covenant Avenue, where the teenager was washing the windows.
The victim, who was 17 at the time, was pinned under the SUV, and first responders had to extricate her using the Jaws of Life.
According to the lawsuit, the victim, who was identified only by her initials, sustained a broken hand, broken leg, broken foot, pelvic trauma, severe lacerations from glass to her head, neck and thigh, a concussion and a tear to her left meniscus.
Both the victim and Maher are listed as plaintiffs. They are seeking damages for medical expenses and lost earnings.
White was cited by police for careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury.
She pleaded guilty on Sept. 18 before District Judge William Wagner and paid a fine.
White could not be reached for comment.