Updated August 10 to include statement from Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A lawsuit has been filed against two trucking companies and a driver involved in a June 19 crash on Interstate 65 that resulted in the death of 10 people. The suit follows the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Aug. 3 release of a preliminary report showing that a tractor-trailer triggered the deadly crash.
Beasley Allen Law Firm filed the suit on behalf of Candice L. Gulley, the driver of a Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch van that was involved in the crash, and the families of five of the eight passengers, all children, who were killed. Gulley, the mother of two of the children, was pulled from the burning van by a bystander.
The suit names Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport, which owned the tractor-trailer NTSB believes triggered the crash, as well as the owner and driver of a second semi involved in the accident, Asmat Investment LLC doing business as Asmat Express, and driver Mamuye Ayane Takelu.
Greg Allen, lead products liability lawyer for Beasley Allen Law Firm, said both defendants “were negligent and displayed a complete disregard for the lives of fellow travelers around them.”
“This tragedy should never have happened,” he said. “We cannot erase or change the disastrous outcome, but we can work to provide answers that will allow a court to hold the defendants accountable for the lives they have devastated.”
After reaching out to Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport, The Trucker received the following statement from Tom Terry, the company’s managing director of human resources:
“Our hearts go out to everyone involved in the tragic accidents on June 19 and those affected by them. We believe the investigations will show that there was a series of near-simultaneous accidents that stopped traffic on the bridge, and that they were caused by a number of different factors, including heavy rains from the remnants of the tropical storm. We also believe that the investigations will show that our driver was traveling at or under the speed limit. The investigations are ongoing, and we are cooperating fully with all appropriate authorities.”
Initial attempts by to reach Asmat Express were unsuccessful.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
