Patrick Salvi II: Winnebago Co. families awarded $67M in deadly crash involving Panera Bread truck

Winnebago Co. families awarded $67M in deadly crash involving Panera Bread truck

By Forrest Nelson and Laura Neuzil

Published: Oct. 1, 2025 at 6:13 PM MDT

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. (WIFR) - The families of two people killed in a crash involving a Panera Bread truck will receive millions following a verdict from a Winnebago County jury.

The multi-vehicle crash happened May 20, 2018, in Stockton and claimed the lives of 88-year-old Fred Krischon and 71-year-old Ruthie Fairchild. Krischon’s son, Bob Krischon, was also seriously hurt in the crash.

At trial Tuesday, Sept. 30, jurors awarded Bob Krischon and the estates of Fred Krischon and Ruthie Fairchild a total of $67 million.

• $37M to Bob Krischon
• $15M to Fred Krischon’s estate
• $15M to Ruthie Fairchild’s estate

• Around 1:45 p.m., May 20, 2018, Bob and his father, Fred, were driving east on US Route 20. They were behind a Freightliner tractor-trailer owned by Panera Bread and driven by Eluid Valencia.
• Mary Norman and her passenger, Fairchild, were headed west on Route 20.
• Norman and the Panera Bread truck collided, sending Norman’s vehicle into the eastbound lane, where it hit the Krischons’ vehicle head-on. The Krischons’ vehicle then burst into flames.
• Fred was unable to escape the blaze and died.

Norman’s passenger, Fairchild, died a few days after the crash from her injuries.

Bob, who was 56 at the time, was able to escape the vehicle and flown to a hospital with foot and leg injuries, rib fractures and a collapsed lung. Since the crash, his legal team says he has had several surgeries and developed chronic arthritis and complex regional pain syndrome.

The Krischon family filed a civil lawsuit in 2018, making several claims against Valencia and Panera Bread:

• Valencia should have known the vehicle he was driving could easily off-track when taking curves
• Panera Bread did not adequately train him or retrain him on operating the vehicle he was driving
• Valencia was involved in four different collisions during his 11 years with Panera and was still allowed to drive a semi-truck

The Krischons’ attorneys also claimed Norman was responsible for the crash, saying she was driving too close to the center of the road.

The Krischons’ legal team says Panera Bread and Valencia must cover 90% of the awarded $67 million with Norman expected to cover the remaining 10%.