The deadly incident happened on March 1 when the singer, her bandmates, and family were traveling in a van from a show in Mobile, Alabama, back to Atlanta.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Grammy-nominated R&B star Angie Stone had survived a van rollover and was attempting to get out when a tractor-trailer struck the disabled vehicle at full speed, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her family in Gwinnett County.
The deadly incident happened on March 1 when the singer, her bandmates, and family were traveling in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van from a show in Mobile, Alabama, back to Atlanta.
According to the lawsuit, the driver lost control of the van, causing it to veer off the roadway and eventually overturn on I-65 in Montgomery County, Alabama, coming to a rest in the left lane.
Passengers survived the initial rollover and were trying to get out of the van. The lawsuit stated that minutes later, a CRST tractor-trailer crashed into the disabled van at nearly 70 miles per hour without braking.
Stone was then ejected and pinned under the van, where she died, according to the lawsuit. Sheila Hopkins was also in the van trying to get out at the time of the crash, and she was badly injured.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, Sept. 2, was against the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck’s manufacturer, the safety system maker, the sprinter van driver, and the van owners.
According to the lawsuit, the truck should have been equipped with a system designed to enable the brakes in the event of a possible collision.
The lawsuit stated the system was defective.
Lawyers for her family also allege the truck driver engaged in negligence, was driving while distracted by wearing headphones, failed to keep a proper lookout, and violated federal trucking regulations.
They also allege that the truck manufacturer Daimler Truck and its safety system maker, Detrior Diesel, designed a defective Freightliner Cascadia and failed to warn users about the flaws of the system.
The lawsuit alleges that the van driver was negligent for losing control of the van and causing it to overturn. The van’s owner was negligent in hiring and training the driver, who was also allegedly uninsured, according to the lawsuit.
Lawyers for Stone’s family and Hopkins are asking for wrongful death, injury, and punitive damages. They are also asking for an award of attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.
Daimler Truck issued the following statement:
“We extend our sincere condolences to the victims of this incident and their families during this difficult time. We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time.”
Stone’s funeral happened on March 14, where family, friends, and loved ones gathered at World of Faith Cathedral in Austell.
Some of the biggest names in Gospel and R&B– including Tyler Perry, Kirk Franklin, Anthony Hamilton, Keke Wyatt, Tamela Mann and Musiq Soulchild — honored her through musical performances and powerful tributes at her memorial service.