Although the truck driver was issued two traffic tickets, no criminal charges have been filed against him, according to the attorney for the woman's family
MOUNT OLIVE -- A lawsuit claims that the driver of a gasoline tanker caused the death of a young Mount Olive mother in a crash on Route 206 in Sussex County in October 2013.
The suit, filed recently on behalf of the family of Serena Perosi in Superior Court in Middlesex County, names the driver, Harminder Singh of Carteret, and his employer, JAZ Trucking Corp. of North Edison, as defendants.
The lawsuit claims that Singh, then 21, caused Perosi "severe bodily injuries" because he was driving at an "excessive," "dangerous" and "careless" rate of speed, did not have the truck under control and caused the vehicle to go into the opposite lane of traffic, where it collided with Perosi's car, said the family's attorney, Carmen Liuzza.
At the time of the accident, authorities reported that Perosi, 27, from the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive, and the mother of a then 7-year-old daughter, was driving south on 206 in Andover at 1 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2013 when her Honda Civic collided with the tanker, gravely injuring Perosi and shutting down the highway for hours as as workers cleaned up thousands of gallons of spilled gasoline.
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Perosi, who was a volunteer with the Blue Ridge Rescue Squad, died of her injuries later that afternoon at Morristown Medical Center.
Although Singh was charged with two traffic violations, no criminal charges have been filed against him in connection with the accident, Liuzza said.
The suit was filed on behalf of the daughter, Kendra, by Lisa Perosi, Serena's sister who is also the child's guardian and administrator of the estate, Liuzza said. He said he filed the suit in Middlesex because both Singh and JAZ are from that county.
The suit seeks damages, interests and the costs of the suit, Liuzza said.
Singh, and JAZ officials, could not be reached for comment on Monday.
After the crash, Sgt. Adam Grossman, a State Police spokesman, said more than 4,000 gallons of gas were spilled on the roadway and the highway was closed for more than 12 hours.
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The tanker was traveling northbound when the driver lost control, Grossman said. The truck crossed over to the other side of the road and overturned, Grossman said. The tanker struck an oncoming Honda Civic, and together the vehicles traveled roughly 120 feet along the shoulder of Route 206, he said.
The Blue Ridge Rescue Squad held a fundraiser benefitting Perosi's family after her death.
Jim Vance, a training officer at the squad, said in 2013 that Perosi had served on the squad for about a year and was a dependable ambulance squad member.
"She knew what she was doing," he said in the 2013 interview. "If we got to a car accident with lots of patients, I knew I could at least send her to evaluate someone and either ask us for help or bandage them up.
"I've been a training officer for almost seven years and every once in a while someone comes through the squad and just naturally gets it. She got it," he said.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.