Trucker, Apparently Asleep, Hits College Van in Indiana, Kills 5

A truck driver who apparently feel asleep at the wheel crossed the median on I-69 and struck a Taylor University van, killing four students and one university employee. Those killed included Taylor students Whitney Cerak, Laurel Erb, Bradley Larson and Elizabeth Smith and Taylor employee Monica Felver. Taylor senior Laura VanRyn and Taylor employee Michele Miller were flown to a Fort Wayne in critical condition. The truck driver, Robert F. Spencer, apparently tried to blame the wreck on tire failure with no supporting evidence, and refused to talk to Indiana State Police, who were inspecting his driver log and related documents. Another driver had seen him drifting and tried to warn him by CB radio, but got no response. The truck driver had a record of speeding violations in while driving a tractor trailer.
Marion is familiar territory to me. I had a family of seven cousins who grew up there. I have pleasant memories of many summer visits there, as well as taking part in four or five of their weddings. One of my cousins was a librarian at Taylor University before she went off to serve as a missionary in Africa and ultimately settled in Sweden.

The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia, and in other states subject to the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules in each state. Ken Shigley was designated as a “SuperLawyer” in Atlanta Magazine and one of the “Legal Elite” in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks).