Four men were killed and a woman was seriously injured in a vehicle accident when an 18-wheeler hit a Honda Civic.  Now the survivor and the widows of the men are suing the driver and his employer.

Hemesto Escalante, 35 years old, was driving a truck and ran a stop sign.  He then collided with the Honda.  The car went under one of the trailers and the four men were killed instantly.  One woman, Concepcion Lopez, survived the crash, but lost her husband.

The plaintiffs are asking for unspecified damages including burial expenses and other punitive damages.  Escalante pleaded not guilty and is being held in a county jail.  Witnesses say that Escalante stopped after the accident and checked the car before driving away.  He faces four counts of vehicular manslaughter and a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

The employer, Panella Trucking, could not be reached for comment.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Motor Vehicle Accidents, Multiple Vehicle Accidents, Truck Accidents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.