Family of Metro police detective Justin Terry files wrongful death lawsuit

The family of Las Vegas police detective Justin Terry filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday eight months after he was fatally crushed by a metal beam while driving on U.S. Highway 95.

At around 7 a.m. on June 10, Terry, 45, was driving an unmarked silver 2016 Ford Taurus southbound on U.S. 95 behind a Kenworth tractor-trailer through the Centennial Bowl project near the 215 Beltway.

A large metal beam weighing more than 7,000 pounds was over southbound lanes. The tractor-trailer was loaded with a large tanker truck and a backhoe loader. The loader was stuck up in the air and hit the beam, according to the complaint filed in District Court.

As a result the beam crushed Terry’s car. He died at the scene.

The Kenworth’s driver Glen Joseph Lewis was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit along with his employer Western States Contracting Inc. and the contractor for the construction project, Las Vegas Paving Corp.

According to the complaint, the Kenworth’s load was in excess of 15 feet. In addition, Las Vegas Paving was responsible for the placement of the beam.

“Despite knowing the dangers of driving with an oversized load, the defendants put lives at risk and killed a 20-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who dedicated his life to protect and serve this community,” attorney Brian Panish said in a statement. “What happened to Detective Terry was 100 percent preventable and it never should have happened.”

The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Terry’s wife, Stacey Terry, and her children, Sean and Jacob Terry. It alleged negligence on the part of Lewis, Western States Construction and Las Vegas Paving and negligent hiring and training by Western States Construction, according to the complaint.

Las Vegas Paving declined to comment Thursday afternoon .

Western States Contracting could not be reached for comment.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.