The family of Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone has filed a wrongful death lawsuit following her tragic death earlier this year in a van crash while returning to Atlanta from a performance in Alabama.
The lawsuit, filed by Stone’s children, Diamond Stone and Michael D’Angelo Archer, names the van driver, the transportation company, and the trucking firm involved. It alleges that the truck’s collision-avoidance system malfunctioned and that the driver was distracted by headphones at the time of the crash.
According to court documents, Stone was one of nine people riding in a Sprinter van when it collided with a tractor-trailer hauling sugar. Bystanders were able to rescue five passengers before the van was struck again.
Stone, who was still struggling to escape, was ejected from the vehicle and pinned beneath it when the tractor-trailer hit. She died at the scene.
The lawsuit alleges the truck driver ignored the road and that both driver error and equipment failure contributed to Stone’s death.
“Angie gave so much love and music to the world,” the family said in a statement. “Now, we are fighting to make sure her death is not in vain.”