New Jersey parents sue teen driver in death of daughter

By Jim Greene

Published on August 30, 2005

Joseph and Mary Ellen Cialone have filed a wrongful death suit accusing Kevin Perry of negligence. Perry's Honda Accord ran off the road and struck a utility pole, fatally injuring Jennifer Cialone, 16, who was in the rear seat of the vehicle. She died the next day.

The lawsuit accuses Perry of negligence and recklessness in his driving. The suit seeks compensation for medical and funeral expenses and damages for the loss to her parents and the girl's suffering in the time between the accident and her death.

Perry was driving with a provisional license, issued to those under the age of 17 who have had six months of supervised training and passed a written exam and a road test. Perry was in violation of the limitations on the license when the accident occurred, since it allows for the presence of only one other non-family member in the car, and there was another 17-year-old male in the car with Perry and Cialone.

An attorney for the plaintiffs said Perry was driving to fast for his level of experience when the crash occurred.

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