Seven Family Members Killed In Truck Accident

When a truck driver fails to pay attention, the results can be devastating.

On Thursday, August 15 in Demotte, Indiana, seven members of a family were killed, including four children, in a crash allegedly caused by a truck driver’s inattention. The fiery crash in northwest Indiana on I-65 appears to have been caused by a truck driver who was not paying attention. Police report that the driver had a history of multiple speeding violations as well.

The four children killed in the crash were all under eight years old.

Lindsay Williams, 27, and her two daughters Yazmin, 5, and Arielle, 3, were among those killed in the crash. The four others killed in the accident were Lindsay’s sister Yvette Williams and her two young children Jasmin and Jamin Osborne. Amando Mangual, the children’s uncle, was also killed.

The family was headed to Merrillville to their home. Around 10 p.m. a semi truck rear ended the Jeep Cherokee they were in. The impact pushed the Jeep into another semi truck directly in front of their vehicle.

Indiana State Police First Sergeant Terrence Weems said that the Jeep Cherokee was so badly burned it was unrecognizable. Police did not even realize initially how many people had been in the Jeep because it had been thoroughly crushed. They believed that only two people had been inside the vehicle.

Traffic had slowed on I-65 that Thursday due to construction. But the driver of the semi tractor trailer was not paying attention, Weems said, and failed to slow down. Police said that the driver Howard Stratton from Leroy, Michigan, had received five separate tickets for speeding since 2006. Stratton had also failed to submit his truck to a mandatory weigh-in even though he had received a warning letter from the Michigan Secretary of State. He had received a citation for this as well.

“There’s no reason for a family to be missing seven family members today due to somebody not paying attention,” said Weems.

Stratton was working for Griffin Transportation, hauling food products. He was not seriously injured in the accident.

As Police Sergeant Weems related, this tragedy is even more horrible because it was entirely preventable. The driver had consistently showed over the course of many years that he had a history of unsafe driving habits. And because he did not get his truck weighed, as is required by law, he and his semi tractor trailer should never have even been out on the road.

The actions of transportation companies and truck drivers are regulated very carefully because of the dangers that these vehicles present. The vast size and weight of semi trucks means that truck drivers who operate them must be carefully trained and must be compliant with all regulations in order to keep everyone else out on the roads safe.

St. Louis Truck Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one has been injured in a semi truck accident, you should contact a St. Louis truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Transportation companies have legal teams working on their behalf, protecting their interests, and you deserve a legal advocate as well. An experienced truck accident attorney will be able to investigate the crash, prove liability, and get you the compensation you deserve.

To schedule a free consultation, contact the St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyers at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm by calling (314) 588-7200.