Wrongful death suit filed in fatal Plainfield accident
By Janet Lundquist jlundquist@stmedianetwork.com October 5, 2012 1:34PM
David C. Dietrich
Updated: November 8, 2012 11:57AM
The widow and daughter of a Naperville man killed in an auto crash in Plainfield last year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the man accused of drunkenly hitting him, along with the golf club that served him alcohol before the wreck.
George Weikum, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash on Oct. 8, 2011, on Route 59 north of Joseph in Plainfield.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Will County court by Collette Weikum and her daughter accuses David C. Dietrich, 33, of Shorewood, of getting drunk while working at a golf outing for Victory Baseball 9U Victory Gold at the Tamarack Golf Club in Naperville, then getting behind the wheel of his vehicle.
Police said Weikum had been driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle north on Route 59 about 4:30 p.m. that day when a truck driven by Dietrich crossed over from the southbound lanes and hit Weikum’s motorcycle.
After Dietrich was treated at the hospital, he was charged with aggravated driving under the influence resulting in the death of another and taken to jail.
Dietrich remains in the Will County Jail on $250,000 bond. He appeared in court Friday and his case was continued to Oct. 23.
Tamarack Golf Club and Victory Baseball also are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
“George Weikum was a very dedicated husband, father and community member,” said Jim Spiros, an attorney for the Weikum family. “(His death) has been a tragic situation for the family, resulting in a tremendous void.”
The six-count complaint seeks more than $50,000 on each count along with legal costs.
