Eastman Kodak sued over deadly 2024 car crash

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A deadly crash outside of the Kodak Center in 2024 has led to a lawsuit against Eastman Kodak. After midnight on January 1, 2024, 35-year-old Michael Avery sped his car near the Kodak Center and appeared to have been driving toward pedestrians. Investigators said he then crashed into a Mitsubishi carrying two passengers. Avery and the two passengers in the Mitsubishi, Joshua Orr and Justina Hughes, and pedestrian Dawn Revette were killed, and multiple people were injured. Investigators learned Avery bought gasoline and gas containers from multiple places in the area, as well as a ticket to the concert on the night of the attack. They also learned he came to Rochester at least twice before, was familiar with the area, and spent several hours scouting the area of the venue. The lawsuit, which was filed by the administratix of the estate of Hughes and Orr, alleges that the deadly incident was a result of Eastman Kodak's "negligence, carelessness, recklessness, willfulness, wantonness, and conscious and deliberate disregard for the safety of others." According to the lawsuit, the defendants failed to adequately supervise the premises, failed to protect people at the venue, and failed to properly hire and train employees that could supervise and secure the venue, among other allegations. News 8 reached out to Kodak, who said its practice will not be commenting on ongoing litigation.