CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - In two separate lawsuits filed Wednesday in Charleston County, a couple is seeking money from Palmetto Carriage Works for alleged injuries they sustained during a crash in downtown Charleston in March 2018.
The suits were filed by Richard and Sherry Maytorena, who say they were on a carriage with their daughter on the afternoon of March 28, 2018 when the driver lost control of the mules on New Street.
According to the suit, the mules then pulled the carriage west onto Broad Street when they ran onto the sidewalk causing the carriage to collide with a fence and power pole. The front bench of the carriage then collapsed onto the pair and their daughter, the suit states.
Richard was thrown to the ground by the carriage and was injured while trying to help his wife, according to the lawsuit.
The suit states that the driver was operating the carriage at a high rate of speed and failed to brake or take reasonable action to stop the carriage.
An initial report from the city of Charleston released after the crash stated were 14 people onboard the carriage at the time of the accident which occurred about an hour into the tour at 4:16 p.m.
The city’s report states that the carriage driver was facing northbound headed toward Broad Street when he saw a FedEx truck turn south onto New Street and the mules took off running. He attempted to regain control of the mules, named Barack and Michelle, and struck an unknown object while doing so. He then turned the carriage onto Franklin Street and was able to stop it, according to the report.
“None of the passengers were thrown from the carriage,” Charleston police officials said.
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