Dean Van Zanardi filed a lawsuit against the Penn Department of Transportation for the death of his daughter, Gianna Van Zanardi, who died of head and neck trauma in an auto accident at Bull and Poplars roads in 2005.
The lawsuit claims PennDOT's failure to post a stop sign on Poplars Road at Bull Road was a substantial factor in his daughter's death.
Gianna Van Zanardi's car was traveling east on Poplars Road when she pulled into the path of a southbound tank truck. The truck hit the driver's door on Van Zanardi's car and the teen was declared dead at the scene of the accident.
West Manchester Township Chief Arthur Smith said the police did discover that the stop sign on Poplars Road at Bull Road was not on the post, but it could not be determine how long the stop sign had been down.
In addition to failing to post the stop sign on Poplars Road, Van Zanardi's lawsuit claims PennDOT "increased the risk of harm" to his daughter by "failing to design" a safe intersection at Poplars and Bull roads.
Dean Van Zanardi is seeking more than $35,000 from the state for the loss of earnings and the loss of earning capacity.
Reference:
"Man sues PennDOT over daughter's death," The York Dispatch, Brock Parker, February 2007.
