Family of Iryna Zarutska sues city of Charlotte ahead of one-year anniversary of her death

The family of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, last year sued the city over the death of their loved one on Friday and its private transit security contractor.

The "wrongful death" lawsuit, filed one day before the one-year anniversary of Zarutska's death, alleges "systemic failures" left the Charlotte Area Transit System dangerously vulnerable, according to Fox News.

The lawsuit condemns the lack of security, fare enforcement and physical barriers around Charlotte’s light rail the day that Zarutska was killed, which were all highlighted in last week's report by North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek.

“What it shows is the systemic failures that have been within the CATS system for years that the city has been aware of,” attorney Lauren Newton, who represents the Zarutska family and her estate, told WBTV on Friday.

“Number one, there’s no physical barriers to prevent a non-ticketed individual from getting on the light rail or bus," she continued. "Number two, there’s no fare enforcement ... Those things, at a basic level, are what’s necessary for safety."

The lawsuit also alleges that Zarutska's death was preventable because four homicides and other assaults occurred near Blue Line stops over the past few years. Zarutska was traveling on the Blue Line at the time of her death.

“Violent crime was absolutely foreseeable,” Newton said. “Violent crime and attacks on CATS workers were one of the main reasons there was no fare enforcement.”

The lawsuit accuses the transit's security team from Professional Security Services of being understaffed by only providing 11-armed security guards and 183 security personnel when the city had budgeted for 219 security guards and 39 armed individuals.

“If there had been a security guard on that train, Iryna Zarutska would be here," Newton said. “That’s what this suit is about to right those systemic wrongs so that Iryna is remembered and that long term, this never happens again. The family doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else’s loved one.”

The lawsuit is seeking damages exceeding $25,000 and punitive damages against PSS, but not against Charlotte.

The lawsuit also comes after a federal judge ruled in June that the man accused of killing Zarutska was not competent to stand trial and has been ordered to enter a 4-month treatment program to restore his mental capacity to stand trial. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.