A serious September 2020 accident has led to a lawsuit filed July 29 in Texas County Circuit Court.
In the suit, Heather Copley of Plato, filed the matter on a behalf of a juvenile son against Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc., Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America and Rowland Pearson, Success, the driver of a vehicle that authorities said crossed the centerline and hit Copley’s 2018 Toyota Sienna. She and four children were injured. Pearson is charged with three counts of felony second-degree assault and three counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. A change of venue in the criminal matter was granted July 6 to Phelps County. A month earlier, Pearson’s bond was amended to show no alcohol possession or consumption and Soberlink alcohol monitoring was ordered. A pre-trial conference is Oct. 5. A jury trial is set for Oct. 12-13.
The lawsuit, filed by Langdon and Emison LLC of Lexington and Strong Garner Bauer PC in Springfield, claims the vehicle was defective and Pearson caused the crash south of Roby.
