Estate of Explosion Victim Files Lawsuit
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The estate of the man killed in an explosion in downtown Youngstown is suing the owner of the building, property management company and the gas company.
The civil lawsuit was filed in Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas on Saturday by Traesha Pritchard and Sharnette Crite-Evans, the sister and mother of 27-year-old Akil Drake, who was killed in the explosion.
The wrongful death lawsuit lists the plaintiffs as Yo Properties 47, LLC; Youngstown Live Property Management; Greenheart Companies, LLC; Enbridge Gas Ohio, Dominion Energy and its affiliates.
Drake was working at the JP Morgan Chase bank located in the Realty Building at the time of the explosion.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the explosion but said in an initial press conference that a cut gas line was found in the basement area where workers had been before the explosion. According to the NTSB, the line was pressurized but was not actively servicing the building.
The NTSB’s preliminary report on the investigation was expected within 30 days, while a final report may take 12 to 24 months.
Documentation obtained through a public records request by WKBN showed that the Youngstown Board of Control approved hiring Boardman-based property development and management company Greenheart Companies to remove the old utility lines like water, gas, electrical, data and phone lines, sprinkler lines and furnace water tanks from the building. The utility relocation was in preparation for the city’s SMART 2 project, to update public transportation in the city.
According to the lawsuit, at the time of the explosion, Greenheart had only four out of a six-person crew present, and the company’s supervisor wasn’t on site at the time. The lawsuit claims that after crew members cut the pipe and realized it was pressurized, they pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the basement.
The explosion occurred about six minutes later.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by those involved in the work, alleging that the property owner and management company knew the work could be dangerous and failed to maintain the safety of those inside.
“Yo Properties knowingly and negligently allowed an understaffed and unsupervised crew to come upon its premises in the middle of a weekday, and perform highly and inherently and/or unreasonably dangerous work of cleaning out and moving utility and other lines,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also alleges that the gas company should have relayed information to contractors about working with pressurized lines and managing any mistakes made in the handling of those lines.
The lawsuit asks for judgment for Drake’s loss of life, medical expenses associated with his treatment, funeral expenses and other damages, including pain and suffering.
A representative for Yo Properties, LLC said the company had no comment at this time.
Enbridge released the following statement: “We express our deepest sympathy to the family of Akil Drake. Enbridge Gas Ohio does not comment on ongoing litigation.”
Estate of Explosion Victim Files Lawsuit
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The estate of the man killed in an explosion in downtown Youngstown is suing the owner of the building, property management company and the gas company.
The civil lawsuit was filed in Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas on Saturday by Traesha Pritchard and Sharnette Crite-Evans, the sister and mother of 27-year-old Akil Drake, who was killed in the explosion.
The wrongful death lawsuit lists the plaintiffs as Yo Properties 47, LLC; Youngstown Live Property Management; Greenheart Companies, LLC; Enbridge Gas Ohio, Dominion Energy and its affiliates.
Drake was working at the JP Morgan Chase bank located in the Realty Building at the time of the explosion.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the explosion but said in an initial press conference that a cut gas line was found in the basement area where workers had been before the explosion. According to the NTSB, the line was pressurized but was not actively servicing the building.
The NTSB’s preliminary report on the investigation was expected within 30 days, while a final report may take 12 to 24 months.
Documentation obtained through a public records request by WKBN showed that the Youngstown Board of Control approved hiring Boardman-based property development and management company Greenheart Companies to remove the old utility lines like water, gas, electrical, data and phone lines, sprinkler lines and furnace water tanks from the building. The utility relocation was in preparation for the city’s SMART 2 project, to update public transportation in the city.
According to the lawsuit, at the time of the explosion, Greenheart had only four out of a six-person crew present, and the company’s supervisor wasn’t on site at the time. The lawsuit claims that after crew members cut the pipe and realized it was pressurized, they pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the basement.
The explosion occurred about six minutes later.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by those involved in the work, alleging that the property owner and management company knew the work could be dangerous and failed to maintain the safety of those inside.
“Yo Properties knowingly and negligently allowed an understaffed and unsupervised crew to come upon its premises in the middle of a weekday, and perform highly and inherently and/or unreasonably dangerous work of cleaning out and moving utility and other lines,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also alleges that the gas company should have relayed information to contractors about working with pressurized lines and managing any mistakes made in the handling of those lines.
The lawsuit asks for judgment for Drake’s loss of life, medical expenses associated with his treatment, funeral expenses and other damages, including pain and suffering.
A representative for Yo Properties, LLC said the company had no comment at this time.
Enbridge released the following statement: “We express our deepest sympathy to the family of Akil Drake. Enbridge Gas Ohio does not comment on ongoing litigation.”
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In Youngstown, Ohio, the estate of Akil Drake, who was killed in an explosion at the Realty Building, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the building’s owner, property management company, and gas company. The lawsuit, filed by Drake’s sister and mother, names Yo Properties 47, LLC; Youngstown Live Property Management; Greenheart Companies, LLC; Enbridge Gas Ohio; and Dominion Energy and its affiliates as defendants.
Drake died while working at the JP Morgan Chase bank in the building when a cut gas line, which was pressurized but not in use, caused the explosion. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days and a final report potentially taking up to two years.
Documentation obtained by WKBN revealed that Greenheart Companies was hired to remove old utility lines as part of the city’s SMART 2 project. The lawsuit claims negligence, alleging that the property owner and management company allowed an understaffed and unsupervised crew to perform dangerous work, and that the gas company failed to provide crucial information about the pressurized lines.
The lawsuit seeks damages for Drake’s death, medical and funeral expenses, and other related costs. Yo Properties, LLC declined to comment, while Enbridge expressed sympathy but also refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation.