Grand Ledge Public Schools Wrongful Death Case
Grand Ledge, Michigan – A lawsuit was filed in the Eaton County Circuit Court by Eric Williams, Personal Representative of the Malachi Williams Estate, against Grand Ledge Public Schools and Ronda Mueller. Defendants negligently drove a school bus through a crosswalk which struck and killed Malachi Williams.
Case Name: Eric Williams, PR v. Grand Ledge Public Schools and Ronda Kay Mueller
Case Number: 22-290-NI
Assigned Judge: Honorable Janice K. Cunningham
Current Status: The Complaint was filed on March 30, 2022.
Summary:
Malachi Williams sadly passed away after being struck by a Grand Ledge Public Schools (GLPS) bus on May 17, 2021. At approximately 3:17 p.m. in the afternoon on a school day, 9-year-old Malachi was riding home on his bicycle. A school bus driven by a GLPS employee was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Jenne Street and Comet Lane, which is right in front of GLPS campus. Malachi was completely within the designated crosswalk when the school bus driver turned right without ensuring that the crosswalk was clear of children. Tragically, Malachi was struck by the front of the school bus, ran over by the front wheel of the bus, and then run over by the rear tandem wheels of the bus. Malachi was transported to Sparrow Hospital but ultimately passed away.
The Williams family has attempted for months to resolve this matter with the Grand Ledge School Board. However, the Board has refused to make any offers whatsoever to resolve the matter which has necessitated the filing of this lawsuit. The GLPS bus driver had a duty to drive in a reasonable and safe manner, which included ensuring that crosswalks were clear of school children. This is especially the case right after school releases for the day. Despite the crosswalk being directly in front of the school, the school also failed to have any crossing-guard at the intersection. The lawsuit was filed in the Eaton County Circuit Court.
Eric Williams, Malachi’s father, stated: “My family wakes up every day with the pain that my son Malachi was taken from us. It is clear from the GLPS Board’s silence that they are unwilling to take responsibility for our son’s death. We filed this lawsuit to ensure that the school is held accountable and to force the school to make changes to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Steve Kallman, attorney for the family, stated: “We first reached out to GLPS in June of 2021 to resolve this matter. It is unfortunate that we were required to file a lawsuit in order to come to a resolution for this tragic incident. Our goal is to have closure for the Williams family.”
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