A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the family of a Chicago Area woman who died from injuries sustained in a November 25, 2007 Arkansas bus crash, according to the Times-Herald of Forrest City, Arkansas. The bus was traveling from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month in Brownsville, Texas by the victim’s husband from Plano, Illinois. She past away in a Memphis , Tennessee hospital on December 16, 2007 from injuries sustained in the bus crash. The lawsuit lists Dallas based Tornado Bus Co. and the driver of the bus as defendants.
Earlier this month the bus driver was arrested by the Arkansas State Police and charged with 4 counts of Reckless Homicide after toxicology reports from Tapia showed evidence of amphetamine use at the time of the bus crash.
A West Chicago, Illinois resident was also on the bus and died at the accident site. They were on a Tornado Bus Co. bus with 45 other people. The fatal motor vehicle collision happened on a rainy night on Interstate 40 in northern Arkansas when the bus crossed a median, hit a pickup truck, and then hit a larger commercial truck. Lopez, another passenger, and the driver of the pickup truck died on the scene.
Another Chicago area man from south suburban Crete, Illinois was also seriously injured in the bus crash. He was taken to a Memphis hospital for surgery.