A Wayne County mother is suing officials after alleging that parts of her 19-year-old son’s brain and scalp were left on the pavement and in a trash container following his fatal motorcycle crash. The lawsuit claims the remains were mishandled after the Inkster collision, adding a disturbing new chapter to a death that has already triggered years of unanswered questions.
Jessica Ostrowski filed the federal lawsuit in late July, according to The Detroit News. The complaint names Wayne County Chief Medical Examiner Lokman Sung, medical examiner investigator Brittnie Pimenata, Inkster Police Chief Tamika Jenkins and Inkster Fire Chief Jason Kaye among the defendants.
The public federal docket lists the case as a civil-rights action filed by Ostrowski against Wayne County and the other defendants. The allegations have not been tested at trial, and no court has found the officials liable.
Ostrowski’s son, Ethan Bennett, was 19 when he died in July 2023 after a motorcycle crash on Michigan Avenue in Inkster. The lawsuit says Bennett was riding westbound when an SUV pulled from a Sunoco gas station near Isabella Avenue and moved into the middle lane, striking him.
The complaint alleges that the crash scene was later washed down by an unidentified firefighter and police officer, then reopened to the public without confirming that all bodily remains had been recovered. Ostrowski claims large pieces of brain tissue and scalp were left behind, with some remains later found in a common garbage bin.
According to the complaint, Bennett’s brain was fully removed from his skull by the collision, while a postmortem report indicated that roughly 500 grams of brain tissue arrived separately and that no brain matter remained in his body during the autopsy. The lawsuit says the discrepancy demonstrates that remains were not properly collected or tracked.
Inkster officials have rejected the suggestion that the scene was handled improperly. In comments reported by The Detroit News, city attorney Todd Perkins said the police and fire departments handled the scene appropriately and professionally, while adding that the city would await its opportunity to defend itself in court.
The lawsuit also challenges the official conclusion that Bennett was at fault. Investigators determined that he caused the crash, and wearable-camera footage allegedly showed him performing wheelies before the collision, but Ostrowski says the SUV driver violated her son’s right-of-way and that investigators relied on flawed or incomplete evidence.
Complaint Points To Earlier Wayne County Morgue Problems
Ostrowski’s allegations arrive against the backdrop of earlier scrutiny of the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. A 2022 report from the Wayne County Office of Legislative Auditor General documented deficiencies involving the office’s operations, controls and procedures, including recommendations tied to identifying decedents and notifying next of kin.
The complaint argues that better training and supervision could have prevented Bennett’s remains from being separated and left at the crash site. It also cites what Ostrowski describes as unresolved deficiencies within the medical examiner’s office and seeks damages for emotional distress, mental anguish and other losses.
What The Lawsuit Could Mean
Michigan appellate courts have recognized a common-law family interest in the proper burial and handling of a loved one’s remains, including protection against mishandling or alteration, as discussed in a Michigan Court of Appeals opinion. Ostrowski’s lawsuit invokes that legal principle along with federal civil-rights claims, but the court will ultimately have to determine whether the allegations are supported by evidence and overcome any governmental-immunity defenses.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has not charged anyone with wrongdoing over the alleged mishandling. The case now moves into the civil litigation process, where the defendants can respond to the complaint and contest Ostrowski’s account of what happened after the crash.
