Pontiac Officer Casey Kohlmeier’s death takes a new turn

The death of Pontiac Police officer Casey Kohlmeier by a drunk driver last fall is facing a new court challenge. The family of Kohlmeier is being pressed by the owners of a tavern that served the driver of a truck that slammed into and killed Kohlmeier.

Court papers filed by the attorney representing the tavern are claiming Kohlmeier is partly to blame for the crash.

Officer Kohlmeier was sitting in his parked squad car in the median of I-55 when truck driver Jason Collins slammed into the police cruiser. Kohlmeter and his canine-partner, Draco, were killed.

The Bloomington Pantagraph reports a five-point defense by the tavern owner denying the allegations in the lawsuit. The filing also raises the possibility that Kohlmeier could have avoided the accident.

GS Partners, owners of Ride the Nine / Shooters Lounge in Bloomington, are accused of serving the alcohol to Collins for five hours before the accident.

94.1 WGFA