The children of Grammy-nominated R&B legend Angie Stone have filed a major claim against trucking giant CSRT and truck manufacturer Daimler Truck North America, seeking justice for the devastating highway crash that claimed their mother’s life this past March.
The legal action, filed Tuesday in Gwinnett County State Court in Lawrenceville, Georgia, targets multiple defendants, including both vehicle drivers and corporate entities in what promises to be a complex civil case, according to The Associated Press.
Stone’s children, Diamond Stone and Michael D’Angelo Archer, along with crash survivor Sheila Hopkins, are pursuing damages against the van driver, truck driver, vehicle owners, Cedar Rapids-based CSRT trucking company, and Portland-based Daimler Truck North America.
The claim presents a harrowing account of the March 1 incident that took the life of the 63-year-old neo-soul icon as she and her band and dancers headed to another concert after a Mardi Gras performance in Mobile, Alabama.
According to court documents cited by The Associated Press and other outlets, the tragedy unfolded in two devastating phases during the predawn hours on an Alabama interstate.
The initial accident occurred when the driver of Stone’s Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van lost control, causing the vehicle to flip over with Stone, her band mates, and entourage inside. While passersby rushed to help and successfully pulled five of the nine occupants from the wreckage, Stone was still attempting to escape when catastrophe struck again.
The claim alleges that an 18-wheeler carrying sugar slammed into the overturned van at nearly 70 mph, ejecting Stone and pinning her beneath the vehicle, where she ultimately perished. It further claims the truck driver was listening to music through headphones, failed to pay proper attention to the roadway, and never applied his brakes before impact.
Court documents state that Stone “consciously suffered” as she remained trapped underneath the van before succumbing to her injuries.
“I support the family,” one fan tweeted, showing early solidarity with Stone’s children during their pursuit of accountability.
I support the family
— Tyler Hackner 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇵🇸🇵🇸☮️☮️🟧🟧 (@HacknerTyler) September 5, 2025
News of the lawsuit has generated intense discourse on Page Six, where readers expressed mixed reactions to the claim.
“Will never get to court. Insurance companies like to settle if they can. Truck manufacturer? Unless there was a glaring defect I doubt it,” one person wrote.
Another sarcastically noted, “You left out the tire maker, the brake maker, the tar maker and applying company,” mocking the comprehensive scope of defendants named in the suit.
The discussion revealed sharp divisions over responsibility.
“Sue everyone involved, you may get some money out of it….disgusting,” one person wrote.
Another questioned the fundamental premise of the claim, writing, “WAIT…. so SHE was in a single vehicle accident and the family wants to blame everyone else for her death??? Seems to me that the blame is with the driver of the vehicle she was in… nobody else.”
The “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” singer’s remarkable career began in the late 1970s with the pioneering all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence on Sugar Hill Records, which became one of the first female groups to record a rap song.
Stone later achieved solo success with chart-topping hits, including “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and collaborations with legendary artists like Betty Wright. Her albums “Mahogany Soul” reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while “The Art of Love & War” peaked at No. 11.
In her final months, Stone complained that she had been battling systematic financial exploitation by major record labels.
During a candid January YouTube video recorded while recovering from a severe blood infection, she made startling revelations about her career earnings.
“A lot of my publishing, my royalties, my mechanicals, they have all pretty much been stolen,” Stone declared. She continued with visible frustration, “Universal Music has been receiving all my royalties, all my mechanicals. They’ve taken pretty much everything.”
Stone expressed her determination to reclaim what was rightfully hers, stating, “Universal Music, you’re going to have to give up my coins. Whatever is necessary to make sure they pay me for the legacy of my life, for my children and my grandchildren.”
She revealed the emotional toll of decades of alleged exploitation, saying, “I should have been able to retire 20 years ago with the money I’ve made.”
As this legal battle unfolds, Stone’s family seeks not only financial compensation but also answers about how such a tragedy occurred.
