Family members of the victims of a deadly train-van crash in Stone County have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in connection with the tragedy.
The crash occurred March 27 at Pump Branch Road near Highway 49, claiming the lives of five people. In response, relatives of four of the five victims have filed a suit against the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway train’s operators and are seeking unspecified damages.
Represented by Gulfport attorney David Pitre, relatives of Kristina Carver, Emely Chamblee, Sarabeth Chamblee, and Ryan Peterson have gone to the Stone County Circuit Court to pursue litigation against Lagarius Knight and Alvin Fortner, the individuals who reportedly operated the train at the time of the collision.
The lawsuit alleges that there were “visual obstructions” ahead of the train tracks that prevented Peterson, who was operating the van that was struck by the train, from being able to fully observe his surroundings. The suit further suggests that Knight and Fortner should have been aware of the prospective danger and proceeded with more caution, which could have prevented a mass loss of life.
“At the time of the collision, trees, brush, vegetation, and/or other visual obstructions existed along the right-of-way and roadway approach,” a portion of the lawsuit reads. “These obstructions impaired the ability of motorists to observe oncoming trains in sufficient time to avoid a collision.”
Specifically, Knight and Fortner are said to have failed to maintain safe speeds while traveling in a wooded area. The operators were also accused of failing to use active warning devices like flashing lights or crossing gates to inform motorists of a passing train.
The March incident is not the first crash at the site. Two collisions occurred in 2023 — one in February and one in April — and accounted for a combined two deaths and three injuries.
