Victims' families sue California trucking company in fatal crash

By Jim Greene

Published on August 24, 2005

The accident occurred near the town of Stevinson, about 25 miles south of Modesto and 21 miles west of Merced in California's San Joaquin Valley. The four workers were traveling to a job for the G&G Construction Company when a truck carrying tomatoes for A&A Transport struck their van.

The suit, filed in Merced Superior Court, claims the truck driver crossed the center line and hit the van because he was too tired to drive safely. It further alleges that the driver kept inaccurate log books and that A&A was aware that its employees were exceeding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration driving limits of 11 hours per day and 60 hours per week. The company declined comment.

A California Highway Patrol spokesperson said that investigators have so far found no indications that the driver was too tired to operate the truck, but that accident experts are still examining the case and would issue a more definitive report.