The father of a bicyclist who was hit and killed by a double-decker tour bus on the Magnificent Mile earlier this year has filed a lawsuit against the driver.
Walter Klingenberg filed the suit Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of his 29-year-old son Blaine Klingenberg, who was struck about 5:30 p.m. June 15 in the first block of East Oak Street.
Klingenberg was riding north on Michigan Avenue when he blew a red light and was hit by the bus, which was westbound on Oak, according to Chicago Police.
The suit offers a different account of the crash, alleging that the bus driver was going too fast when she disobeyed the red light and failed to keep a look out for bicyclists.
Klingenberg, of the 3600 block of West Shakespeare, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died within the hour, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he suffered multiple injuries and ruled the death an accident.
The bus driver was not ticketed or charged.
“Detectives determined the incident was unavoidable by the driver of the tour bus,” police News Affairs Officer Kevin Quaid said Thursday evening.
The driver is listed as a defendant along with Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company. A representative did not immediately return a phone call Thursday seeking comment.
Klingenberg is survived by his parents and two siblings, who live in California. The four-count negligence suit seeks more than $200,000 in damages.
