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WILKES-BARRE — A long-running suit stemming from a 2015 hit-and-run in Harveys Lake may be nearing a conclusion, as suggested by a court document revealing a settlement conference had been scheduled between the parties.
Michael Scavone, 54, is currently around three years into a seven- to 16-year sentence in state prison, after having pleaded guilty in 2016 to the fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of Paula Jones on June 7, 2015.
Scavone pleaded to charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, two counts of driving under the influence and a count of accidents involving personal injury. A repeat DUI-offender, Scavone admitted to spending the day leading up to the accident drinking beer and Yukon Jack whisky. He fled the scene and was later found at his mother’s house, sleeping.
It wasn’t long after Jones’ death before her husband, Brian A. Jones, filed a suit against Scavone, along with Grotto Pizza in Harveys Lake and the American Legion Post 672 in Dallas, along with numerous bodies identified as Grotto’s owners, alleging they had a direct role in Jones’ death.
The original complaint suggested the establishments served Scavone, despite knowing he was a “habitual drunkard.” Scavone himself is also accused of negligence in the suit.
A filing by Luzerne County Judge William H. Amesbury issued in county court on Tuesday indicates that a settlement conference has been scheduled in the suit for Sept. 4. The terms of any possible settlement are not spelled out in the filing.
While the purpose of a settlement conference is to bring the parties to a conclusion, it’s possible the parties could come away without having reached an agreement, leading the case to still need to go to trial.