Justin Lavender, 32, Melissa Walker, 33, and Lincoln Lavender, 10 months, killed, and Sandra Davis, 54, injured in crash between car and tractor trailer on Interstate 40 near Asheville, North Carolina

Modified Date:

Tue, 09/29/2015 - 6:54am

Accident Date:

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Couple and baby killed in Interstate 40 wreck

An Old Fort couple and their 10-month-old son have died in a wreck on Interstate 40 east of Asheville. The North Carolina Highway Patrol told local media the wreck happened Sunday night near Oteen. The victims were 32-year-old Justin Lavender, 33-year-old Melissa Walker and 10-month-old Lincoln Lavender. The trucker driver, Douglas Olney, of Cookeville, Tennessee, is charged with three counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Troopers said the boy's grandmother, 54-year-old Sandra Davis of Mars Hill, was driving when a tractor-trailer rig merged into the car's path.

Baby and 2 others killed in Interstate 40 wreck

The trucker driver, Douglas Olney, of Cookeville, Tennessee, is charged with three counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Troopers said the boy's grandmother, 54-year-old Sandra Davis of Mars Hill, was driving when a tractor-trailer rig merged into the car's path.

Why every fatality from a crash is not legally a wrongful death

After someone dies in a motor-vehicle accident, grieving family members and friends are often left with many questions. What caused the accident? Could it have been avoided? What do they do now that their loved one is gone?

Sometimes a fatal collision happens through no one's fault. Crashes caused by weather and road conditions, or by wildlife in the roadway, are examples. But when a fatal crash is caused by negligence, then family members should pursue a wrongful death claim, to uphold the victim's rights and begin the financial recovery process. Learn more about wrongful death claims here.

Type: Car Accident

People Involved:

Justin Lavender

Melissa Walker

Lincoln Lavender

Sandra Davis

Douglas Olney

Roadway:

Interstate 40

City:

Asheville, NC

County:

Buncombe County, NC

Area:

Greenville-Spartanburg, SC-Asheville, NC-Anderson, SC