Sleeping Amazon driver’s fatal crash into teacher was preventable, Missouri suit says
The family of a Missouri teacher who died in a crash with an Amazon driver is now suing, saying the deadly collision could have been prevented if proper safety measures had been followed by the company and state transportation officials.
Jennifer Bryant, a mother of four, was driving on the interstate to pick up her daughter from dance practice on Jan. 5 when she was fatally hit by an Amazon driver who is accused of falling asleep at the wheel, according to the lawsuit filed April 23 and reporting from KY3.
The Amazon driver swerved into the left side of the road, crashed through a cable barrier at the interstate’s median and drove into oncoming traffic on Interstate 44, hitting and killing the 45-year-old, according to the lawsuit.
“We didn’t get to say goodbye,” her family said in a GoFundMe. Bryant was a teacher for 20 years at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, which mourned “the loss of our beloved, Mrs. Bryant,” calling her death “a loss for our entire community.”
The family said Amazon did not properly analyze the driver’s ability to drive and monitor him during trips, and “knew or should have known” about the driver’s “dangerous proclivities” and “lack of fitness to drive.” The lawsuit also accused the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission of bearing responsibility, saying the cables at the interstate median failed to stop the vehicle from crashing into the opposite lane, even after similar incidents in the past.
The driver and trucking company were also named in the lawsuit. Amazon, MHTC and the trucking company did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment. Attorney information for the driver was not listed.
The family is seeking compensation for damages for Bryant’s emotional and physical suffering before her death, and costs associated with her death, according to the lawsuit. A dollar amount was not listed.
”She was the best friend a person could ever ask for,” her family said in a GoFundMe, “and I’m not sure how we will go on without her.”
In her obituary, Bryant was remembered as a “beloved” teacher with an “unforgettable” smile and “contagious” laugh who died doing what she loved — supporting her children.
“Jennifer’s free time was spent transporting her kids from one activity to another while weekends were filled with soccer games and dance competitions,” the obituary read. “She would not have wanted it any other way.”
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