The family of a Kentucky man who was killed in a fatal crash in Austintown is suing the trucker who killed him, along with the trucking company he worked for.

The mother and father of 25-year-old Zackery Leffler of Burlington, Kentucky is suing recently-convicted trucker Davit Pluidze of New Jersey, as well as his employer, trucking company RFS Group for Leffler's wrongful death.

“We have to wake up without him and the reasoning that he was taken is not okay,” Shannon Ponder, Leffler’s mother said.

Leffler was killed in December of 2023 when Leffler was driving westbound on I-80 in Austintown and Pluidze was driving his semi in the opposite direction.

Pluidze lost control of his vehicle and crossed over into the westbound lanes striking Leffler's pickup truck and throwing him from the vehicle causing "severe disabling injuries" that ultimately resulted in his death.

“We are here because a bad trucking company hired a bad truck driver with a bad driving history,” Shean Williams, the Leffler’s attorney said.  

The suit states that Pluidze failed to keep a proper and sufficient lookout for Leffler, failed to stay in his lane, failed to maintain control of his vehicle, failed to slow down or stop, failed to change his direction of travel among other things.

Meanwhile the suit accuses RFS group of negligent hiring alleging that the company failed to investigate Pluidze's driving history and verify that he was a safe, competent driver.

"On information and belief, RFS knew, had reason to know or should have known, that Puidze had a record of dangerous, reckless and incompetent driving and that he would be likely to use the equipment provided in a manner involving unreasonable risk of physical harm," the suit reads.

21 News reached out to RFS group for comment on the lawsuit but did not hear back. 

The family is demanding a jury trial in this matter.

The family is also asking for Ohio lawmakers to create stricter drug testing laws for truck drivers. Attorney Williams alleges that bottles of pills were found in Pluidze's truck after the crash and that he had a medical history that should have prevented him from driving or being hired by the company. 

“It's not acceptable to be under the influence of any drug,” Rex Spaulding, President of New Castle School of Trades said. “These vehicles can run down the road at a high rate of speed and its concerning when you could have somebody under the influence”

Drivers training at the NCST, a local school that offers CDL classes and is unrelated to the crash, have to go through multiple drug screenings before and during their courses. Spaulding said detection of any substance is unacceptable and would prevent a prospective student from joining the school.

Once drivers are hired, Spaulding said it’s common for companies to continue those screenings.

The Department of Transportation requires companies to drug test their drivers after a fatal accident. However, attorney Williams said Pluidze was not screened after the crash and questions why local police investigated the crash instead of the DOT.

The Leffler family is pushing for Ohio to make a law that requires the DOT to investigate all crashes involving tractor trailers and enforce harsher drug screenings for drivers. 

The families lawsuit comes just days after Pluidze was sentenced to 30 days of house arrest in connection with the death. You can read more about that in our related coverage below.

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