The children of late R&B star Angie Stone are taking legal action over the horrific Alabama crash that claimed her life in March.
Diamond Stone and Michael D’Angelo Archer filed a wrongful death lawsuit this week in Gwinnett County, Georgia, naming the drivers involved, a trucking company, and even the truck’s manufacturer.
Court papers allege that the 63-year-old singer initially survived the first accident, when the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van carrying her, her entourage, and her band flipped over.Â
Bystanders managed to rescue five of the nine passengers, but Angie was still inside when tragedy struck again.
According to the filing, a tractor-trailer hauling sugar plowed into the van, ejecting Angie and trapping her underneath.Â
She died at the scene.Â
The children of late R&B star Angie Stone are taking legal action over the horrific Alabama crash that claimed her life in MarchÂ
Court papers allege that the 63-year-old singer initially survived the first accident, when the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van carrying her, her entourage, and her band flipped over
The lawsuit further claims the truck driver ‘was not paying proper attention to the roadway ahead of him’ and that the vehicle’s collision mitigation system failed to prevent the deadly crash.
Angie was on her way home from a show in Mobile, Alabama, when the accident occurred.Â
The suit chillingly states that she ‘consciously suffered’ while pinned beneath the wreck before losing her life.Â
According to the filing, the truck driver was distracted, listening to music through headphones, and never applied the brakes as he barreled toward the vehicle.Â
The impact, the suit says, came at nearly 70 mph, leaving no chance for anyone still inside the van to escape.Â
Court documents portray a scene of reckless negligence, highlighting just how preventable the tragedy might have been.
Stone’s heartbreaking final social media post hinted the singer had been working on a ‘big surprise’ before her life was tragically cut short.
A video uploaded to Instagram in March saw Stone share the happy news with a big grin, managing to still look glamorous in her casual Tom and Jerry T-Shirt attire.
Bystanders managed to rescue five of the nine passengers, but Angie was still inside when tragedy struck again
According to the filing, a tractor-trailer hauling sugar plowed into the van, ejecting Angie and trapping her underneath:she died at the scene; (seen in 2013)
Â
She captioned the poignant clip for fans, ‘I have a surprise for you!’ and accompanied this with two doves and the hashtag ‘Love you’.
An influx of comments followed on the post since the icon’s death was announced with people saying that ‘her soul knew’.
It comes as the 63-year-old had said in her video: ‘Lots of stuff is going on I don’t want to let out of the bag just yet. You’ll see there’s a big grin on my face – a lot of things are going on.
‘All I’m going to say is we’re getting back into things.’Â
Reacting to the news on Stone’s final social media post, one person commented: ‘The doves and the surprise are crazy, her soul new. RIP.’
Another said: ‘This post was so poignant. She thanked everyone and left nothing unsaid. Wow.’
Others made reference to her musical legacy.
Jill Marie Cooper said: ‘I’m still in shock. Girl your legacy will live on. Mahogany Soul was my late mother’s fave album. It was a staple in our house. Love you and thanks for the amazing music. X.’
The lawsuit further claims the truck driver ‘was not paying proper attention to the roadway ahead of him’ and that the vehicle’s collision mitigation system failed to prevent the deadly crash; (Stone was a member of The Sequence, with Cheryl Cook (l) and Gwendolyn Chisolm, (c) one of the first first female rap groups)
Tim Pulliam added: ‘Angie, your song “Brotha” always affirmed me. It was an anthem. You have left an impact on the culture. Rest in peace, Queen.’Â
Stone was a founding member of The Sequence, trio from Columbia, SC who make up one of of the first female rap groups.
Their 1980 hit Funk You Up was later sampled in Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and Dr. Dre’s Keep Their Heads Ringin’.Â
After six years in The Sequence, between 1979 and 1985, Stone launched her own solo career in the late 1990s.Â
Her debut album, 1999’s Black Diamond, went gold in the United States.Â
Stone’s 2001 record, Mahogany Soul, included the hits Brotha, No More Rain and Wish I Didn’t Miss You.
Wish I Didn’t Miss You was remixed and hit number one on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs.Â
Stone, who went by Angie B in her early career, and fellow The Sequence members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024.
Fans may remember Stone from her appearances on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club and R&B Divas: Atlanta.Â
She also had film roles in 2002’s The Hot Chick, 2003’s The Fighting Temptations and 2014’s Ride Along.Â
She also had her own popular YouTube Channel.
In a social media post on January 13 Stone wrote, ‘I’ve been in the game for 50 years. My first solo album is 25 years old. I’ve put in a lot of work over the years. God gave me this gift and I have shared it with the world. ‘
‘Even at this point I am asking my creator what is next because I have so much more to give.’
