May 8, 2008

The widow of an Ellis Grove man who was killed in a trench collapse in March in Millstadt has filed a lawsuit accusing a Marion construction company of negligence.

Mendy Yankey, whose husband Ronny was killed in the March 10 trench collapse, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

The 38 year Yankey and a co-worker, 48 year old Tom Eickelman of Benton, were killed on March 10 while working as subcontractor on a sewer treatment facility in Millstadt when the trench collapsed, trapping the two men.

Followell Construction of Marion is named in the lawsuit filed by Yankey. The construction company is accused of negligence in operation of the construction site.

The lawsuit seeks in excess $100,000 for wrongful death, pain and suffering.

The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration has been investigating the March 10 accident but the results of their investigation have not been released.