Fairfield councilors plan to discuss death lawsuit

FAIRFIELD – The civil lawsuit filed last year by Cathy Landry against the town of Fairfield will be discussed Wednesday night by town councilors.

The case has been set for trial next month in Somerset County Superior Court. It is scheduled to be held before a jury and is expected to last three days.

Fairfield Town Manager Paul Blanchette could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Cathy Landry is suing the town over the July 18, 1998, death of her 17-year-old daughter Amy. Amy Landry, a Lawrence High School student, died after her car crashed into a utility pole after leaving a gravel pit party in Clinton.

The lawsuit maintains that the accident was caused by road construction conducted by the town on Toulouse Corner of Martin Stream Road.

Although the town admitted in its response to the suit that construction signs were up in the area, no construction was under way at the time of the crash. The accident happened on a weekend and work was scheduled to begin the next Monday.

According to the lawsuit, Fairfield Officer Steven Trahan investigated the accident and determined that it was caused by speed, driver inexperience, wet roads, and Amy Landry’s use of alcohol and marijuana.

Trahan determined that Landry, who was not familiar with the road, was driving 35 mph over the posted speed, at 55.77 mph, and the accident occurred 200 to 300 feet before the proposed construction site.

Landry’s blood alcohol content was 0.06 at the time of the 1:30 a.m. crash, the equivalent, in an average person, of three drinks. Her blood also tested positive for marijuana use. She was not wearing a seat belt. Landry never regained consciousness after the accident and died several hours later at a Waterville hospital.

Cathy Landry filed the lawsuit last August and is seeking an unspecified amount of money, hoping to recover the costs of her daughter’s medical care and funeral expenses. She also seeks damages for the loss of her daughter’s companionship and the pain the girl must have suffered before she died.

Other business on the agenda for the 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, meeting includes: a road name change; an application for a Community Development Block Grant; the town manager’s contract; negotiations of the town’s union contract; town report bids; a Community Network Plan; a liquor license for Captain Jake’s Restaurant.