Griswold – The parents of a teen driver who died, along with three friends, in a December car crash on Route 201 have filed an intention for legal action against the town.

The notice, received by assistant Town Clerk Valerie Pudvah Tuesday, was filed by Shawn L. Rutchick of the New London-based law firm Provatas & McNamara LLC on behalf of claimants John C. Clapper Jr. and Roberta Clapper, co-administrators of the estate of 16-year-old John Clapper III.

The document claims that "negligence and carelessness" by the town of Griswold resulted in the injuries and subsequent death of John Clapper III in a car crash that happened after school let out for the day. The suit claims the teens involved had cut class.

Gina Pelletier and Eugene Cornell, parents of Sativa Cornell, another teen killed in the crash, filed a similar suit on May 18.

The single-car accident about 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2010, along Route 201 near Route 138 killed four of the five Griswold High School students riding in the vehicle.

Along with Clapper and Cornell, 16, of 301 Sam Chikan Road, Steven Szklarz, 15, of 786 Route 12, and Dillon Clifford, 16, of 8 Fairview Ave., were killed.

Joel Gallup, 16, of 31 Woodcrest Drive, was the lone survivor and continues to recuperate.

In an interview last week, Gallup said the initial lawsuit "seems that it's a whole mockery to the accident itself."

Police said Clapper was driving the vehicle before it struck two trees.

The car in the accident, a 2007 Nissan Altima, was registered to Pelletier.

Cornell and Clapper had dated for nearly two years, according to Clapper's MySpace page.

According to DMV records, Clapper received a learner's permit Aug. 10. Cornell received her license Oct. 26. Neither had any driving violations.

Someone with a learner's permit is allowed to have as passengers only a parent, driving instructor or adult 20 years or older who has had a license for four consecutive years.

During the first six months of having a license, passengers, with the exception of certain qualified adults, are not allowed in the car, and for the second six months only one additional passenger is allowed in the car and that has to be an immediate family member.

The suit claims that the town of Griswold "failed to determine … John Clapper, III had left school during the school day" on the day of the crash; failed to take attendance and failed to inform Clapper's parents or police that he had left school grounds; and allowed the students to leave without permission despite the fact that "one or more of the students were on a watch list for having done so" before.