Limited information is available from this report, but it has been confirmed that the accident happened on the evening of March 30. Apparently, a tractor-trailer driven by a 55-year-old woman was headed eastbound on the 49 Bypass when the accident occurred. For reasons that are still unknown, the truck collided with a southbound vehicle carrying two female students, both 19 years old, who attended the nearby Fort Valley State University.
The force of the impact caused the fuel tank on the tractor-trailer to rupture. This, in turn, caused both vehicles to catch fire, trapping all three people in their respective vehicles. By the time emergency crews reached them, all three were dead. Police are still unsure which driver was responsible for the collision, but their investigation will continue until a cause for the crash is determined.
At this point, the families of the deceased, either the truck driver or the two students, will be entitled under Georgia state law to file wrongful death lawsuits against the estate of the driver whose negligence contributed materially to the truck accident. A case like this is handled in civil court and requires evidence of a driver’s negligence or recklessness as material causes for the crash. If successful, a suit of this type can result in monetary damages being awarded to the plaintiff.
