Tractor-Trailer Collision Lawsuit Seeks Wrongful Death Damages for Families of 10 People
A 76-year-old truck driver, two insurance companies, Associated Wholesale Grocers, and G.D. Transport Inc. are just some of the defendants named in a truck accident lawsuit seeking wrongful death damages for the families of 10 victims who died when a tractor-trailer drove into a line of stopped vehicles on a turnpike on June 26. The truck driver, Donald L. Creed, was charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of negligent homicide. Last month, he pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
Police say that Creed’s tractor-trailer was set to cruise control and appeared to be moving at a speed of about 70 mph—5 miles under the speed limit for the turnpike—and he does not appear to have taken any action to prevent the truck crash from happening. The cars he struck with his truck were stopped because of another truck accident that happened earlier in the day.
Police attribute the deadly multi-vehicle collision to driver inattention on Creed's part. According to their report, Creed did not seem to be aware that he had struck anyone. He also allegedly said that he thought the autos had driven under his truck while he was parked.
According to the tractor-trailer accident lawsuit, Creed neglected to slow down and stay in control of his truck as he collided with stopped traffic. The complaint accuses Associated Wholesale Grocers of failing to properly choose, train, and supervise the elderly truck driver and for allowing him to work into the early afternoon (when the truck crash happened) even though he started work at 3am that day.
The truck crash fatalities: 69-year-old Oral Hooks, his 63-year-old wife Earlene, his two adult sons, Dione and Antonio, 39-year-old Ricardo Reyes, his wife Ernestina, (their 12-year-old daughter Andrea survived the catastrophic tractor-trailer accident), 38-year-old Randall Hayes, his 35-year-old wife Shelby, their 7-year-old son Ethan, and his 55-year-old mother-in-law Cynthia Olson.
Also named as defendants in the large truck crash lawsuit were driver Erin Alf and trucker Rajeev Sharma. The two motorists were involved in the earlier accident that prompted the other vehicles to stop.
Accident victims' families sue driver, Chron.com, October 6, 2009
Trucker Pleads Not Guilty in Deadly Turnpike Crash, News9.com, September 23, 2009
Related Web Resource:
Trucking Accidents Caused by Driver Error, Nolo
