Warren County supervisor candidate Ed Herring named in lawsuit over the death of Carson Kurtz

Edward Herring, a candidate for Warren County District 1 supervisor, and his ex-wife, Stacey Herring,  have been named in a lawsuit over the death of Carson R. Kurtz, who was killed in an accident in Louisiana on June 21.

Carson was 15 and a student at St. Aloysius High School at the time of his death.

The lawsuit, which was obtained by the Vicksburg Daily News today, was filed in Madison Parish, La., on Oct. 4 by Jamey and Shawn Kurtz, Carson Kurtz’ parents.

The Herrings are named along with three other defendants, Jack M. Varner, Brent Fortenberry and Jan Marie Avery, all of whom reside in Madison Parish.

According to the suit, Kurtz was a guest of Fortenberry and Avery, and on property belonging to Varner on the day he died.

The suit alleges that the Louisiana defendants “purchased and/or provided” alcohol to Kurtz, Jackson Fortenberry and Reece Herring, all of whom were minors at the time. Further, the suit alleges that they “provided a Polaris Ranger utility motor vehicle capable of high speeds” to the minors “without proper instruction, training, warning or supervision,” and that the road on the Varner property was “inadequately marked” and “inadequate for travel” at the speeds the Ranger was capable of traveling.

Jackson Fortenberry or Reece Herring “procured the alcohol” and were operating the vehicle at the time of the accident, according to the suit.

Finally, the suit claims that Brent Fortenberry, “intentionally removed and/or altered evidence of the cause(s) of the accident, including without limitation the removal of all evidence of alcohol consumption by the minor children from the scene of the … fatal accident.”

Edward and Stacey Herring are included in the suit because they are “responsible for damages occasioned by” their minor son, Reece Herring.

Edward Herring has not responded to our calls for this story.

This story represents only one side of a legal action and should not be interpreted as a statement of guilt or innocence.

Read the lawsuit: Kurtz lawsuit October 2019