WATERBURY — The estate of a father of four killed in a motorcycle crash on Spring Lake Road two years ago is suing the city and its employees, claiming a defect in the road caused the crash that took the Naugatuck man’s life.
Jeffrey Mongillo, 47, died when he lost control of his black Harley-Davidson after hitting a depression and broken asphalt on the road, according to the suit and a police report that detailed the August 2015 accident.
The crash occurred at about 10:30 p.m. in the 300 block of the street, a stretch of road lined with homes and trees that isn’t far from All Saints Cemetery and carries a steady flow of traffic.
After losing control, the motorcycle hit rocks and trees, eventually ending up in the woods, according to a police report. Mongillo suffered massive injuries in the crash, including head trauma, organ damage and broken bones. Mongillo, a married father of two daughters and two sons who owned his own auto-related business, was pronounced dead a short time later.
The suit, filed by attorney Peter Bowman on behalf of Mongillo’s family, claims that 125 feet of the road was defective at the time of the crash, as parts of the pavement were broken and it contained a 100-foot-square depression.
A police report shows officers concluded that Mongillo lost control “after the area of asphalt degradation and slid into the tree with the motorcycle.” Mongillo was neither intoxicated at the time of the crash, nor was he speeding, police concluded.
It’s unclear as to why, but police found Mongillo at fault for the crash.
A cross, along with two letters in red, “JM,” remain at the site attached to a tree in tribute to Mongillo. The road in the area where the crash occurred showed signs of wear on Tuesday, including broken chunks of pavement.
“Our family is still grieving over the loss of Jeff. He was a wonderful, caring and hardworking father of four children. We miss him every day,” said Mongillo’s wife, Jill, in a statement about the suit. “Unfortunately, the city still has not fixed the issues with the road. We wish the city would fix the roadway so no one else gets hurt.”
In addition to the city, Director of Public Works David Simpson and Supervisor of Streets Mark Mancini are both named in the suit, claiming they were responsible for the road maintenance.
Bowman, of the law firm of Pavano Dombrowski, said in a statement that the degradation of the road and broken pavement was “long-existing.
“People living in the area of the crash had previously complained to the city about the roadway. While the city has put up cones at the area of the crash, it has done nothing else to make this road safer,” Bowman stated. “We hope that changes.”
Waterbury’s Corporation Counsel Linda Wihbey did not respond to a request for comment about the suit.
The suit requests an unspecified amount in damages to cover the family’s loss. An attorney for the city has requested an extension of time to respond to the litigation.
