Six months after Angie Stone was killed in a devastating crash on an Alabama highway, new details have emerged about the circumstances surrounding the accident and the final moments of her life.
The singer’s children Michael D’Angelo Archer and Diamond Stone filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in Gwinnett County, Georgia against the drivers involved in the crash, the companies that owned the vehicles, and a manufacturer.
The complaint, which Atlanta news station WSB-TV posted on its website, says Stone survived the initial crash when the driver of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van Stone was traveling in “lost control.”
Stone, 63, and her band were returning to Atlanta after a performance the night before in Mobile, Alabama, when the van hired to transport them flipped onto its side, and “came to rest in the left lane of I-65 North,” just south of Montgomery, Alabama on the morning of March 1.
Good Samaritans rushed over to help, and pulled five of the nine occupants to safety, including the driver.
According to the filing, Stone and a woman named Sheila Hopkins were still inside the van working their way out — and were not seriously injured — when a tractor-trailer hauling sugar plowed into the vehicle at about 4:25 a.m.
“As a result of the collision, Angie Stone was ejected from and pinned underneath the Sprinter van,” the lawsuit says.
The singer remained conscious and “suffered until she ultimately succumbed to the fatal injuries she sustained in the collision and died,” according to the complaint.
Stone was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities said at the time that the eight others in the van were transported to Baptist Medical Center for treatment.
Sheila Hopkins suffered “severe” injuries. She is listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit along with Stone’s children.
The lawsuit lists Leethel Carter as the van driver and one of the defendants. According to the complaint, the tractor-trailer was driven by a man named Jared Wilkinson.
“Defendant Wilkinson was listening to music while driving, using a pair of headphones,” the complaint says.
The lawsuit additionally alleges Wilkinson “was following too closely, distracted, fatigued, not paying attention to the roadway,” and “never applied the brakes” before striking the van at nearly 70 mph.
The complaint alleges negligence by the companies and the drivers caused Stone’s death and injuries to passengers in the van.
The plaintiffs are seeking attorneys fees, payment for hospital bills, funeral expenses, and other damages “recoverable by law.”
On Friday, defendant Daimler Truck North America declined comment on the lawsuit.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the victims of this incident and their families during this difficult time,” Daimler told People magazine. “We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time.”
Angie Stone was best known to fans for her hit singles “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” “Brotha” and “Everyday.”
The singer-songwriter and leading lady neo-soul music received three Grammy nominations throughout her career, along with two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, and a Soul Music Icon Award at the 2021 Black Music Honors.
The Columbia, South Carolina native got her start in the music industry in the 1970s, when she formed girl group Sequence with high school friends Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook and Gwendolyn “Blondie” Chisolm. They scored a hit with the single “Funk You Up.”
Stone’s loved ones said goodbye at a private memorial service that streamed live on March 14. Speakers included members of Stone’s family, as well as Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook, her sorority sisters from Zeta Phi Beta, Q. Parker from R&B group 112, and Tyler Perry.
Kirk Franklin, Tamela Mann, Anthony Hamilton, Keke Wyatt, and Musiq SoulChild performed.
Musiq SoulChild told those attending Stone helped open doors early in his career.
“I would not be where I am today if it were not for Angie Stone,” he shared.
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