Chautauqua County Government and a County Legislator are being sued in the death of a motorcyclist last summer.
Thomas Altwies and Lillian Hahn Altwies of Columbia, Missouri filed the suit in Chautauqua County State Supreme Court on behalf of the estate for Jeffrey Duchaine.
The suit said that on Thursday, July 6, 2023, John Hemmer lost control of his motor vehicle while driving from a meeting that was part of his duties as a Chautauqua County Legislator.
Hemmer’s vehicle collided with the motorcycle driven by Duchaine on Hardenburg Road in Westfield. Duchaine later died at an area hospital.
Attorneys stated in the filing that Chautauqua County was being sued based on the information and belief that Hemmer was operating his vehicle as part of his duties for the county as a county legislator at the time of the crash. The suit claims, “…as such Chautauqua County is financially responsible for the negligent acts of the defendant John Hemmer.”
Duchaine’s family members are requesting funeral and burial costs as well as unspecified economic and non-economic losses.
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