AUGUSTA — A lawsuit over an accident that killed a 16-year-old who was driving an all-terrain vehicle has ended with an undisclosed settlement.
The wrongful-death lawsuit was filed last year in Kennebec County Superior Court by Stacy Savage, of Oakland, as personal representative of the estate of Ryan Wayne Mullens.
Mullens, of Whitefield, died June 23, 2014, after his ATV crashed into a vehicle driven by another 16-year-old, Kimberly Crommett, as both drove north on Howe Road in Whitefield.
The defendant named in the lawsuit was Crommett’s mother, Karen Crommett, of South China.
According to a report at the time from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Mullens, driving a Yamaha ATV, was following Crommett, who was driving a Subaru station wagon.
“The ATV entered the southbound travel lane to overtake the Subaru,” police said in the release. “As the ATV returned to the northbound lane, it crossed the Subaru’s path and both collided on the side of the roadway.”
The ATV rolled over, throwing Mullens off. He was not wearing a helmet. He later died at MaineGeneral Medical Center.
Attorney Jason Jabar, who filed the lawsuit for Savage, said Tuesday that the case had been settled with the Crommetts’ insurance company.
“The details of the settlement are confidential,” Jabar said via email. “Ryan’s family believes the settlement recognizes that a jury could find Kim Crommett responsible for causing the crash that killed Ryan. Ryan’s parents believed there was more to the story than what they learned from the police investigation. Ryan’s parents, Stacy Savage and Wayne Mullens, and his siblings, Jordon Mullens and Aubrey Collier, will always struggle with emptiness from the loss of Ryan, and this settlement will not change that.”
Jabar also said that Mullens’ parents are establishing an organization to conduct charitable activities called “Ryan’s Way.”
Personnel in the office of Frank Moore, an attorney representing Karen Crommett, indicated calls for comment should be directed to John Cusolito, vice president and manager, public relations, at Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Cusolito said in an email that the company does not comment on matters in litigation.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
Comments are no longer available on this story