KITTERY — The number of parties planning to sue the town of Kittery over a van crash this summer that injured several summer campers is growing.

Five notices of intent to sue have been filed following the Kittery Community Center van crash, the Portsmouth Herald reported.

Two notices seeking financial damages for medical expenses were filed a few weeks after the crash. The latest filings bring the total to five.

The latest three filings say plaintiffs will seek monetary damages for medical expenses that included a fractured tibia, head injuries, facial scarring and emotional trauma, according to the Portsmouth Herald.

Eleven summer campers were on their way to the Candia Springs Adventure Park on Aug. 10 when the 2010 GMC Savana van they were passengers in ran into a large tree next to Interstate 95 in Greenland, New Hampshire. Some children, who ranged in age from 7 to 9, were injured. One of the children was transported from Exeter Hospital to Boston Children’s Hospital before being released.

New Hampshire State Police said the 21-year-old driver, John E. Guy, experienced a medical emergency, but have declined to comment further.

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However, Guy disclosed in a prior unrelated court case that he suffers from epilepsy and had experienced grand mal seizures in the past. Guy also had a lengthy history of driving infractions and a minor criminal record.

Guy had been convicted twice through the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles administrative process of driving to endanger. He also has two speeding tickets on his record and was cited three times for driving with a suspended license. Guy was issued a license in 2013.

An internal review conducted by the town showed that Kittery officials failed to check Guy’s driving record before he was hired.

The oversight was attributed to a miscommunication between the town’s human resource staff and the Kittery Community Center staff, who hired Guy for his seasonal counselor position.

Four of the claims were filed on behalf of children, and the fifth was filed by the second camp counselor aboard the van.


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