Teen passenger in speeding car sues driver who was hit
By Julie Manganis
Staff writer

SALEM — The driver of a minivan who was seriously injured when she was struck head-on by a drag-racing teenager doing 81 mph is now being sued by the teenager's passenger, who was also injured.

A lawsuit filed yesterday in Salem Superior Court suggests that Christine Speliotis "carelessly and negligent (sic) failed to avoid the collision with the other vehicle head on."

The lawsuit was filed by the father of Brandon Pereira, 17, of Peabody, the cousin of Timothy Pereira, the driver of the speeding Ford Mustang.

Timothy Pereira, 19, of Salem is out on bail awaiting trial on charges that include racing, speeding, driving to endanger and failing to stay within marked lanes.

Investigators from the Salem and state police concluded that Timothy Pereira was going 81 mph on Fort Avenue, a road with a 30 mph speed limit, when he lost control, veering across the center lines and into the path of a Honda Odyssey minivan.

Speliotis, 42, of Salem, and her passenger, Stanley Swaczyk, 50, of Marblehead, suffered broken bones and other injuries. Police said Speliotis was traveling at a reasonable speed for the road, and she was not charged with any wrongdoing.

Brandon Pereira was ejected from the Mustang and suffered severe injuries that resulted in his being put into an induced coma for a time. He has been at a rehabilitation hospital, said his lawyer, Roland Hughes.

Hughes defended the filing of the lawsuit yesterday, saying it's his obligation to recover as much as possible in damages for his client. The complaint lists $350,000 in medical bills to date and another $100,000 in anticipated expenses.

"Basically, under Massachusetts law I'm trying to get compensation for my client anywhere I can," Hughes said yesterday.

He said he has also pursued a claim against Timothy Pereira's insurer, which is expected to lead to a settlement. "I'm pursuing all avenues," Hughes said.

Hughes said he is still awaiting the final accident reconstruction report and did not want to comment on exactly how he would show that Speliotis could have done something to avoid the accident.

In a letter filed in connection with Timothy Pereira's criminal case in May, Brandon Pereira's mother wrote that she believes the two teens should be allowed contact with each other.

"Yes this is a terrible situation and of course I wish it never happened, but it did," Luisa Pereira wrote. "That being said it doesn't change the amount of trust I have for Tim and Brandon being together. I believe Tim would help Brandon's recovery."

Speliotis had already filed a lawsuit against Timothy Pereira in April, seeking damages of at least $88,000 for medical bills and other expenses. She suffered a fractured hip and leg and had to undergo surgery to insert metal rods and screws to repair the damage.

In a formal response to the suit, a lawyer for Timothy Pereira also raised the suggestion that Speliotis' "own negligence caused or contributed to any injuries that the plaintiff may have suffered as alleged in the complaint."

A hearing in Timothy Pereira's criminal case is scheduled for Aug. 25. His lawyer wants a judge to dismiss the charges because, he contends, police did not immediately cite him at the scene of the crash.

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*Whispers* Who??

Hee hee....hmmmmmm I must be a pretty lucky girl!

Hey....uh....Thomas....

Hundreds of Post Offices Could Soon Close

The Postal Service has marked 677 post offices nationwide for possible closure or consolidation, according to a document given today to a House subcommittee holding a hearing on the future of American mail delivery. Among them are 10 post offices in the District and three in the Maryland suburbs of Hyattsville, Rockville and Silver Spring.

Click here for the full list of possible post office closures

“The writing is on the wall and the postal service obviously has to make some tough decisions if it wants to weather this storm," Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) told Postal officials during the hearing.

“You better believe that if those post offices have to be closed I’m going to be besieged by people asking, ‘Please don’t close my post office,’” she said later.

Postal and Congressional sources said privately that only about 200 of the 677 postal facilities are likely to be closed after a review. Regardless, several lawmakers criticized Postal officials for not informing them about possible closures, cutbacks in service hours and the removal of mailboxes.

“I’m afraid the Postal Service leadership has lept to the conclusion that the only way to keep the Postal Service solvent is to cut back on hours of operation," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who noted that many of his constituents have long commutes and cannot get to post offices before they close in the late afternoon.

The House subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service today reviewed the various options as the Postal Service struggles amid sharply declining mail volume and the gradual migration to e-mail and online payment systems.

As The Eye reported in today's Post, the Government Accountability Office added the Postal Service to its list of high-risk government agencies and programs on Tuesday and has urged a rapid overhaul that includes layoffs, plant closures and changes to retiree health benefits.

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Where the heck did everyone run off to?