Joy can turn to tragedy in an instant when a truck accident occurs.

On February 23, that is exactly what happened on I-65 in south-central Kentucky. A FedEx truck rear-ended a Nissan Pathfinder SUV filled with family members returning to Chicago from a wedding in Florida. Two children and the groom himself were killed. Four others were injured.

The crash occurred just south of Elizabethtown. A Kentucky State Trooper who responded to the accident said the area was unlit. A toxicology exam was performed on the FedEx driver, with results not immediately available.

In the area where the fatal crash occurred, the interstate has four lanes. Local government officials would like to see it expanded to six. Hart County Judge-Executive Terry Martin said the crash is a tragic reminder that more lanes are needed on the 45-mile stretch of I-65 that runs from Park City to Elizabethtown.

Whatever happens with highway funding, however, the human cost to the family members of the crash victims remains immense. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit can be a good way for a family to seek closure and just compensation after the terrible loss of a family member due to another's negligence.

Police have said that the FedEx driver will probably not face criminal charges in connection with the crash. But a wrongful death lawsuit does not involve a criminal burden of proof. If the FedEx driver was negligent, the family members of the victims should be properly compensated.

Source: Group: "Fatal Crash Points to Need for More Lanes," WLKY.com, 2-26-11