Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Truck Crash Survivor Awarded $15 Million in Civil Suit

A survivor of a truck crash that renewed calls for mandating collision avoidance systems on heavy trucks when it killed five nursing students from Georgia Southern University has been awarded $15 million in a civil suit against the trucking company.

by Staff
January 24, 2017
Truck Crash Survivor Awarded $15 Million in Civil Suit

 

1 min to read


A survivor of an April 2015 truck crash that killed five nursing students from Georgia Southern University and led to calls for mandatory collision avoidance systems has been awarded $15 million in a civil suit, according to an AJC.com report.

The nursing students were caught up in a seven-vehicle crash on Interstate 16 in Georgia when a truck driver for Total Transportation of Mississippi failed to stop when traffic slowed.

Ad Loading...

Total Transportation and its parent company, U.S. Express, are ordered to pay the $15 million to survivor Megan Richards. Richards told jurors that as a result of the crash, she still suffers from traumatic brain injury.

While the District Attorney General of the Georgia Atlantic Judicial Circuit decided not to pursue criminal charges against the company, Total Transportation of Mississippi has already settled wrongful death lawsuits related to the case, with one victim receiving $14 million. The driver, John Wayne Johnson, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree vehicular homicide.

Through civil suit depositions, it was revealed that Johnson was hired by Total Transportation of Mississippi despite disclosing to the company that he had been fired from a previous job for falling asleep at the wheel.

Ad Loading...

While Johnson admitted fault for the crash, he insisted that he was awake. 

More Safety & Compliance

Illustration of inside truck cab with dashcam on window, definition of research, and ATRI logo

ATRI Wants Motor Carriers for Driver-Facing Camera Study

In this new study, the American Transportation Research Institute will explore how driver-facing cameras can impact safety and operational metrics in trucking fleets.

Read More →
Man seated in front of computer with inset of insights generated for a truck driver

Netradyne Intelligence Uses New AI Agents to Automate Response to In-Cab Camera Data

The company called the next-generation in-cab camera safety platform "a fundamental shift from systems that report on what happened to systems that actively drive what should happen next."

Read More →
Maintenanceby Deborah LockridgeJune 15, 2026

Mack, Volvo Issue ‘Do Not Drive’ Recall on Possible Wheel-Offs

Owners will be sent advance notice not to operate their affected vehicles until the remedy is performed.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Fleetworth-Lytx integration.

Fleetworthy Integrates Lytx Video Snapshots into Safety+ Platform

A new Fleetworthy-Lytx integration gives fleet managers access to video context alongside safety event data, streamlining driver coaching and incident review.

Read More →
Podcast thumbnail illustration
Fleet ManagementJune 4, 2026

How Waste Connections is Using Data, Telematics, and AI

How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.

Read More →
Fleet Advantage TRUST

Fleet Advantage: Top Logistics Fleets Outperform National Safety Benchmarks

Fleet Advantage's latest TRUST Safety Index found leading logistics fleets maintained significantly lower out-of-service rates and stronger safety scores than national averages, while highlighting persistent challenges related to tires, brakes, and unsafe driving behaviors.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail showing Chuck Palmer illustration with refuse truck in background

Why Fleet Data Matters More Than Ever at Waste Connections [Watch]

Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking.

Read More →
Thumbnail for podcast episode
Safety & ComplianceMay 28, 2026

Short Takes: How K&B is Using AI

Fleets need to "get on board the train" with AI, says Lance Evans of K&B Transportation in this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes episode.

Read More →
Thumbnail for podcast episode
Safety & ComplianceMay 28, 2026

Short Takes: Inside K&B’s Truck Safety Tech

Listen to learn how K&B Transportation uses cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and more to improve driver safety.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration with caution graphic in background and photos of autonomous trucks
Safety & Complianceby Jack RobertsMay 27, 2026

The Biggest Gap in Driverless Trucking Isn’t Tech. It’s Safety Validation

Nauto’s Stefan Heck says autonomous trucks are advancing quickly but proving they’re safe enough for large-scale deployment may be the industry’s hardest challenge.

Read More →