Truck maker sued in fatal accident

BRATTLEBORO — The family of a truck driver killed in a 2008 crash on Interstate 91 in Vermont has sued the truck maker.

Lawyers for Edvin Medina’s family say the design of the Freightliner truck built by Daimler Trucks North America was responsible for his death in Brattleboro.

Medina, of Plainfield, N.J., was traveling north when he encountered a disabled vehicle on a bridge. The lawsuit says he attempted to avoid it but lost control of his truck, crashed through the guardrail and plunged about 70 feet. He survived that, but the tractor part of the truck burst into flames and trapped Medina inside.

The Brattleboro Reformer reports the suit says the fuel tanks were improperly constructed. Daimler says the truck wasn’t defective; the accident happened due to others’ negligence.