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The estate of Jorge Jimenez, the man Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed while driving on Interstate 690 in February 2019, is suing Boeheim and SU. 

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Onondaga County Supreme Court, alleges that Boeheim was negligent, driving an SU-owned vehicle at a high rate of speed leading up to the crash. The estate is suing for an unspecified amount of monetary compensation. 

SU does not comment on active litigation, said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications. The university has not filed a response to the lawsuit yet.

Boeheim fatally struck Jimenez, 51, along Interstate 690 in February 2019 while driving home from a restaurant following SU’s basketball game against Louisville. Jimenez was a passenger in a car that had crashed into a guardrail on the eastbound lane of I-690. Boeheim swerved to avoid the car and struck Jimenez, who had exited the vehicle after it hit the guardrail. 

Jimenez was transported to Upstate University Hospital and died of his injuries. 

A second man, Osvaldo Rivera-Olivo, 49, was struck by the mirror of Boeheim’s vehicle but only suffered minor injuries.

An investigation by the office of Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick revealed that, five seconds before the crash occurred, Boeheim was traveling at least 10 miles per hour above the speed limit of 55. The district attorney’s investigation was closed without any charges filed against Boeheim. 

Boeheim said in a postgame press conference following Jimenez’s death that he was “truly devastated.”

“The grief his family is feeling at this time is, simply put, unimaginable,” he said.

The lawsuit argues that Boeheim’s negligent driving led to Jimenez’s death. The estate is suing for monetary damages related to medical bills and funeral costs associated with the accident. 

Dewitt Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Services held Jimenez’s funeral for free, a decision made out of respect to both Jimenez and Boeheim’s family, owner Jan Maloff said at the time. 

Published on November 9, 2020 at 4:51 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3