Two children of R&B singer Angie Stone are suing Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), among others, in the crash that killed her.
The driver of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van Stone, 63, and her bandmates and entourage were in lost control of the vehicle in the early hours of March 1 on Interstate 65 near Montgomery, Ala. The van flipped over, but most of the occupants managed to escape before the van was struck by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia operated by CRST, killing Stone.
Diamond Stone and Michael D'Angelo Archer, two of Stone's children, filed the suit. Included are the van driver, the truck driver, the owners of the van and the truck and DTNA. The suit alleges the truck's collision avoidance system was faulty and failed to detect the van laying in the interstate.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the victims of this incident and their families during this difficult time," DTNA says in a statement. "We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time."
The suit further claims the truck driver was listening to music on headphones, wasn't paying attention and did not brake before hitting the van at 70 mph, killing Stone. Everyone else in the van survived.
The Detroit Assurance 5.0 advanced driver assistance systems included on the 2021 Cascadia include:
- Adaptive cruise control to 0 mph, which automatically accelerates and decelerates the truck to maintain a safe following distance.
- Active Brake Assist 5.0, which provides full braking should a moving pedestrian enter the truck's path. It issues visual and audible warnings to alert the driver with partial emergency braking. If the driver doesn't act, the system brings the truck to a full stop.
- Automatic wipers and headlamps, intelligent high beams and traffic sign displays.
- An optional feature is Side Guard Assist, which detects objects in the passenger-side blind spot along the full length of the tractor and trailer.
Stone was a singer-songwriter who created No. 1 hit "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" and "Baby" with Betty Wright, "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and "Brotha."
