Angie Stone’s Death Prompts Lawsuit Against Trucking Firm, Driver, and Manufacturer
Details of the Tragic Accident
Grammy-nominated R&B icon Angie Stone, 63, was tragically killed in a highway accident on March 1 while traveling back to Atlanta from a Mobile, Alabama performance with her family and bandmates. The van carrying Stone and eight others overturned on Interstate 65, coming to rest in the left northbound lane; the right lane remained clear for traffic. All van occupants survived the initial wreck and began to exit, with assistance from Good Samaritans who stopped and activated their hazard lights.
Fatal Second Collision
As Angie Stone and her relative Sheila Hopkins attempted to leave the disabled van at approximately 4:25 a.m., a tractor-trailer traveling nearly 70 mph—owned by Iowa-based CRST and loaded with sugar—slammed into the van. The complaint alleges the truck driver, Jared Wilkinson, was distracted by music through headphones and failed to watch the road. The impact ejected Stone from the van and fatally pinned her beneath it.
Lawsuit Claims and Defendants
Stone’s adult children, Michael Archer II and Diamond Stone, along with Hopkins, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Georgia’s Gwinnett County State Court. The suit names the van driver (Leethel Carter), the truck driver, both vehicle owners, the trucking company (CRST), and the manufacturer of the truck’s collision mitigation system—Daimler Truck North America and its subsidiary Detroit Diesel Corporation—as defendants. Plaintiffs contend that both drivers acted negligently, the van was improperly handled, and the truck’s collision mitigation system failed to detect the disabled van and did not engage the brakes.
Industry Implications and Ongoing Investigation
As someone long involved in entertainment and transportation coverage, it is clear that this case raises important questions about technology in commercial vehicles, driver awareness standards, and the legal exposure of transport companies. Alabama authorities have launched a criminal investigation. Lawsuit counsel have made it clear that the family hopes to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Angie Stone’s Legacy
Stone remains celebrated for her influential solo career and for hits like “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and “No More Rain (In This Cloud).” Her contributions to neo-soul and legacy with The Sequence are well documented, making her sudden loss resonate even more within the music and entertainment industries.
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