A Louisiana Grand Jury has declined to indict a 18-wheeler truck driver in a rear-end chain-reaction crash that killed 3 members of a Mississippi family.
On July 29, 2008, the 18-wheeler crash on I-12 killed a husband, wife, and their 7-year old daughter. Another 4-year old daughter was severely injured. The family was on an end of the summer vacation to Blue Bayou Water Park.
Investigating officers indicated that the 18-wheeler rear-ended a van that struck the van in which the family was riding. The family van was pushed into the back of another 18-wheeler, causing the body of their van to separate from the frame, according to State Police. The investigation also indicated that the 18-wheeler was driving 63 mph in a 50 mph construction zone. Upon impact, the 18-wheeler was moving 47mph and left skid marks of 125 feet. The 18-wheeler was fully loaded weighing more than 34 tons. The family’s only recourse is a civil lawsuit against the truck driver and employer. Unlike many states, Louisiana law does not allow punitive damages for an 18-wheeler’s reckless indifference to the rights of others.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
