WILKINSON COUNTY, Ga. — A fiery crash in Wilkinson County left one trucker dead and another severely injured. Now, the family of the man killed is taking legal action just over a month after the crash.
Baldwin County truck driver Randal Wilson was killed at a Wilkinson County intersection on May 21 when he was t-boned by another truck driver, authorities said at the time of the crash.
But the lawsuit says the other truck driver who allegedly hit him, Navneet Singh, shouldn’t have been behind the wheel in the first place.
“WRCH Transport was aware or should have been aware that Defendant Singh’s propensity to operate a commercial motor vehicle in a negligent or reckless or otherwise unsafe manner, such that he was not suited for the particular employment,” the lawsuit said.
Singh, a truck driver from California, was driving down Georgia Highway 112. That’s when the lawsuit says Singh flew through a stop sign at the intersection with Georgia Highway 29 and Singh slammed into the Freightliner 1999 truck Wilson was driving.
At that moment, they say the truck erupted into flames. Wilkinson County Coroner Billy Matthews previously said that Wilson was able to get out of the truck but he was engulfed in flames.
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The lawsuit says Wilson burned to death, and they say Singh and his trucking company, WRCH Transport, were responsible for it.
“Mr. Wilson’s physical, mental, and emotional injuries, pre-death fear of impact, pain and suffering, and horrific death were directly caused by the negligence of Defendants,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit, which was filed by family members Brittney Wilson and Shemeka Wilson, is leveled against Singh, WRCH Transport and the trucking company’s insurance company.
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The lawsuit was filed in federal court, the U.S. Middle District of Georgia, on June 28.
The lawsuit alleges that Singh had a pattern of unsafely operating his truck, and they said he was driving too fast when he missed the stop sign and slammed into Wilson.
“Singh and Defendant WRCH Transport were aware or should have been aware that Defendant Signh had a propensity to operate a commercial motor vehicle in a negligent or reckless or otherwise unsafe manner,” the lawsuit says.
At the time of the crash, they say Singh wasn't paying enough attention to what was in front of him, approached an intersection at a high speed and then blew through the stop sign causing Wilson's death.
They also say he failed to operate his truck with “ordinary due care” and, in fact, argue he was driving in a “negligent and unsafe manner.” Plus, they accuse him of breaking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration law.
Now, Wilson's family lawsuit is seeking more than $75,000 in damages, which is the requirement for a case being brought to federal court. They are also seeking punitive damages due to Singh's alleged driving history.
The lawsuit claims his driving tendencies raise "the presumption of conscious indifference to the consequences" of WRCH trucking's actions.
WRCH has not filed a response to the lawsuit in court. A lawsuit is only one side of a legal conflict, and the allegations still need to prevail in a court of law.