Mother Sues Quarry For Son’s Death

MONTREAL (CN) - The mother of a young California man whose decomposed body was found in 2005 in a quarry north of Montreal, has sued the owner of the quarry for negligence in Quebec Superior Court.

Steve Wright, 20, and his friend Mark Kraynak, 23, who also fell to his death that night, were working in Canada when they died. The men went missing on Aug. 22, 2005, after leaving a downtown Montreal nightclub in a cab. Police analysis of surveillance footage surmised that Wright and Kraynak tried to skip out on paying their fare by running away from the cab driver. They fell 20 meters after jumping over a fence surrounding the quarry.

Plaintiff Cheryl Lynne Crockett says the men's boss reported their disappearance to Montreal police when they failed to return from their night out. Their bodies were found 10 days later. She claims that the fencing, signage and lighting at the quarry owned by Ciment St-Laurent was inadequate. Several gaps in made it easy to gain access to the dangerous property, she says.

Crockett claims that she and her two daughters have "lost the emotional and financial support" of her son. She's suffered from a major depression and had to seek the help of a psychologist. She seeks $200,000 in damages.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit