Pedestrian's husband seeks damages against town, other agencies

The husband of Jo Schatterman, the pedestrian killed while attempting to cross Gulf of Mexico Drive, has filed a formal notice of a claim against the town, Sarasota County, the state and the Florida Department of Transportation for the “failure to provide a safe place to cross Gulf of Mexico Drive at the 2200 block despite having a designated bus stop on the east side of the road.”

Thomas Schatterman, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., seeks damages in excess of $200,000, according to the notice sent by his attorney, Gregg Silverstein, of Aventura.

The letter states that the area around the 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive is “poorly lit and there is no crosswalk available for pedestrians to cross.”

Town Attorney David Persson wrote in a letter to the Longboat Key Town Commission earlier this week that the notice has been forwarded to the town’s insurance carrier, which will afford a defense and provide coverage in case of a lawsuit.

The crash occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27, when Schatterman and her sister, Myra Sandler, were returning from St. Armands Circle on the trolley and attempted to cross Gulf of Mexico Drive to return to Sandler’s unit at the Islander Club. Schatterman was struck by a sport-utility vehicle driven by Petar Sibinkic, of Sarasota. Schatterman died at the scene.

For more information, pick up an April 12 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].