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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Women in Business Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 18, 2006 Civil lawsuit names teens linked to fatal car crash Three defendants allegedly helped buy alcohol for Kevan Thatcher-Stephens before the accident By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A civil suit implicates teenage friends of Kevan Thatcher-Stephens in the 2005 car crash that killed him and Charles Ashley Bench, 26, of Shady Cove. Jamin Burchard, Hannah Clarke and Audrey Wilson helped purchase the alcohol that Thatcher-Stephens, 17, consumed the evening of Feb. 11, 2005, according to a lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on behalf of Bench's estate. The teens drank "up in the mountains" and in an Ashland parking lot before Thatcher-Stephens drove to Medford, where his Jeep Cherokee collided with Bench's Chevrolet Blazer, said Michael Brian, attorney for Bench's widow. Brian obtained statements from some of the teens in civil depositions after they refused to testify before a grand jury in 2005's criminal investigation of the case. The three joined Thatcher-Stephens' parents — James Stephens and Patrice Thatcher, of Ashland — and Thatcher-Stephens' passenger, Ian-Graham Collier, as defendants last week in the $5.5 million suit. The case is set for trial Feb. 27. "We have named the people that we think have culpability," Brian said. David Wilson, of Ashland, said he gave a deposition in the case, along with his 19-year-old daughter, but would not reveal Tuesday what they said. Attorneys representing Stephens, Thatcher and Graham-Collier did not return phone calls Tuesday. Advertisement Burchard, Brian alleges, helped Thatcher-Stephens "secure" the Jeep the day before the fatal crash. Stephens told police he had hidden the vehicle and its keys after an Ashland police officer ticketed his son. Thatcher has said she and her husband "had no idea where (their son) obtained an extra key." Burchard, now 19, is on probation for attempting to elude Medford police nine days after Thatcher-Stephens died. He pleaded guilty in Circuit Court in July last year and was ordered to spend 10 days in jail. Failing to secure the Jeep so Thatcher-Stephens would be unable to drive is just one facet of his parents' negligence, Brian alleges. Stephens and Thatcher also failed to prevent their son from driving while his license was suspended and helped him obtain a hardship driver's permit, thereby leading him to believe he was justified in driving when "they knew or should have known that (he) was likely to drive in a negligent manner," the complaint states. Thatcher-Stephens became so intoxicated at least once during the week leading up to the fatal crash that a friend had to bring him home, the complaint states. He, Graham-Collier, Burchard, Wilson and Clarke pooled their money to purchase alcohol, Brian alleges. Following the crash investigation, Graham-Collier was cited for minor in possession while Clarke was cited with furnishing alcohol to minors. However, it couldn't be proven criminally that the liquor Clarke possessed made it into Thatcher-Stephens' hands. Thatcher-Stephens' blood-alcohol content was at least .13 percent when — driving about 102 mph — he ran a red light and smashed into Bench's Blazer at the intersection of Jackson Street and Riverside Avenue. Talent police officer Jeff Price and former Jackson County sheriff's Capt. Joe Puckett were pursuing the speeding Jeep before the crash. A grand jury concluded last year that both officers acted appropriately in pursuing the vehicle. However, Puckett resigned from the sheriff's department after an internal investigation revealed that he left the crash scene to drop off an unauthorized female rider. Claiming officers unreasonably pursued their son, Stephens and Thatcher in May 2005 announced their own intention to sue. However, no action has been filed. Thatcher-Stephens' estate also faces litigation from Bench's passenger, 29-year-old Mark Louis Robustelli, who was critically injured in the crash. Robustelli is seeking a judgment of more than $2.5 million. That case is set for trial May 22. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary