Youngstown, Ohio – A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the mother and sister of the Chase Bank employee who tragically lost his life in the explosion at Realty Tower on May 28. The lawsuit targets the building’s owners, management companies, a utility relocation company, and gas companies.
Akil Drake, 27, was working on the first floor of the bank when the explosion occurred, claiming his life. The lawsuit, filed by Traesha Danyiel Pritchard and Sharnette Crite-Evans, seeks damages but does not specify a dollar amount. The defendants named include Yo Properties 47 LLC, LY Property Management LLC, GreenHeart Companies LLC, several Enbridge entities, and Dominion Energy.
Following the incident, Enbridge expressed condolences to Drake’s family but refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. Representatives for the other defendants were unavailable for comment at the time.
In addition to Drake’s tragic death, the explosion left several others injured and displaced residents of the building’s 23 apartments. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the cause of the explosion, while the city has enlisted a Cleveland structural engineering firm to assess the safety of the building.
It was revealed that GreenHeart was responsible for relocating utility lines, including gas lines, from the building’s basement and vault. Preliminary information from the NTSB suggests that the explosion may have been caused by a pressurized abandoned gas line being cut during the relocation work.
The lawsuit claims that workers were unaware of the pressurized line and evacuated the building after smelling gas, but the explosion occurred shortly thereafter. Drake suffered before succumbing to his injuries, the lawsuit alleges, holding YO Properties accountable for the dangerous work being performed on its premises.
Additionally, the lawsuit accuses the gas companies of negligence for failing to properly advise and warn contractors about the risks associated with handling gas lines. The tragic incident at Realty Tower has brought to light the importance of safety protocols in utility line relocation work.