By Nick Glunt
Akron Beacon Journal
CANTON, Ohio — The family of a Canton firefighter who died while crossing state Route 8 traffic a year ago has sued, challenging the official ruling that she died by suicide.
The family of Tonya Johnson, 43, is demanding that investigators change the ruling in part so they can collect a $3 million life insurance policy that was denied because the suicide ruling disqualified its payout.
Johnson died on Feb. 22, 2016 — a year to the day before the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Johnson crossed state Route 8 on foot during rush hour. She safely passed southbound traffic before being struck by a northbound vehicle.
The lawsuit lists the defendants as Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler, Guardian Life Insurance, the city of Akron, the Akron Police Department and several Akron police officers who were involved in determining that Johnson died of suicide.
Her family speculated last year that she was fleeing a vehicle driven by Randey Johnson, her husband of eight days. They said she had sought a divorce, and her husband told police they were arguing before she exited the vehicle.
The family’s attorneys, David DuPlain and Danielle Pierce, ?allege in the lawsuit that Johnson had received dissolution papers — which would have ended the marriage if both parties signed — via email the morning of the crash.
The day of the crash, GPS records place Johnson near a bank in Cleveland where her husband opened an account shortly before. The attorneys allege she was seeking a notary public to make the documents official.
Similar allegations were made in April, when Johnson’s family protested the ruling outside the medical examiner’s office.
Attorneys for the medical examiner’s office could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
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