STOW, Ohio — The family of a 25-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a stranger at a Taco Bell drive-thru in Stow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
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The 11-page lawsuit, filed by attorney Rebecca Sremack on behalf of Nicholas and Kelly Keleman, requests a jury trial and seeks compensatory damages exceeding $25,000 and punitive damages exceeding $25,000.
Sremack said the lawsuit is also a method to push for change when it comes to gun laws, police response to suicidal crises, and requiring "safety exit lanes" at drive-thru establishments.
"There are multiple ways to seek change, I think a lawsuit is one of them," Sremack said.
The lawsuit names the estate of Jason S. Williams as the defendant. Williams shot Megan Keleman and then took his own life on Aug. 14, 2024.
Other defendants could be added to the lawsuit as additional angles are investigated, Sremack said.
T. Nadas, the attorney for the estate of Williams, said, "This is a tragedy for everyone involved, and my role as the administrator of the estate is to comply with all the procedural and statutory requirements."
The lawsuit states there were several signs that Williams's life leading up to the tragedy was on a "dangerous downward spiral."
"This included suicidal threats and multiple criminal charges involving weapons and alcohol," according to the lawsuit.
Sremack is convinced the tragedy should have been avoided.
"What initially may have seemed like a random, tragic accident—when you start unpacking it, there is this large set of failures that led up to it," she said.
Megan's parents remember their daughter in many ways: determined to help at-risk youth at her job, a proud Cleveland State graduate, a passionate Cleveland Guardians fan, a runner, and a kind soul.
"There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and what we've lost," Kelly Keleman said.
Nick Keleman stressed how painful the loss of his daughter remains on a daily basis.
"It's tough to get up every day and go to work. I have moments. Each day, there is a trigger. A song comes on the radio, or I hear the score of the Guardians game. The 14th of every month is hard," he said. "I'm genuinely broken down and hurt, and it's hard as time goes on. I hope it gets better."
Megan was in the drive-through line at the Taco Bell on Graham Road near the Cuyahoga Falls border when Williams inexplicably rammed his vehicle into her car.
Megan called her dad, and during a seven-minute phone call, he urged her to leave, but she was trapped by the design of the Taco Bell, Sremack said.
Nick Keleman heard his daughter screaming, followed by gunfire.
Williams had exited his vehicle, shot Megan, and then turned the gun on himself.
"It's not fair that we outlive our children, and it's hard," Nick Keleman said.
The lawsuit states Williams was out on bond on OVI and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle charges at the time of the murder-suicide.
"There should have been enforcement to make sure his guns were taken away," Nick Keleman said.
Williams had failed to obtain a required SCRAM device, which monitors alcohol, and had been cited for driving under suspension while the felony case was pending, according to the lawsuit.
"I think there needs to be additional oversight and monitoring of individuals who are out on bond, in particular, where there are indications of alcohol or substance abuse or mental health issues," Sremack said.
The lawsuit also points out that there is a steep hill bordering the drive-thru lane at the Taco Bell, so there is no clear way out if there are cars in front and behind a customer.
"What is horrifying about it is the fact that Megan had no way out. She was trapped," Sremack said.
Sremack said there are some cities that already have ordinances that require exit lanes in drive-thru businesses.
The Keleman family feels that having safety exits should be standard at all similar fast food restaurants.
"We don't want people to be locked in," Kelly Keleman said. "We want a double lane so that you have access to get out."
Here is the full lawsuit document:
