5 relatives died in wreck after woman driving 12mph was hit by semi truck on I-26: How it happened

According to records, the woman driving at 12 mph had passed asleep at the wheel a week before, causing a 2019 wreck by crossing the centerline. Spartanburg — Dianne Lanford was in a rental automobile the night she and a truck driver crashed on Interstate 26 in Spartanburg County, killing five members of the same family.

She was in a rented car because Lanford had passed asleep at the wheel while driving in Spartanburg six days prior and was unable to wake up. Officers smashed her window to liberate her.

 

Paul Herzig, the trucker who collided with Lanford’s automobile on February 24, told troopers he didn’t see the silver Toyota she was driving before the accident. The video of the incident does not appear to show any traffic.

The Peterbilt he drove did not appear to have automated braking equipment, which could have prevented the disaster if he had not been paying attention. The truck manufacturer did not respond to a request for comment.

According to a report from the Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, or MAIT, the only people who did not contribute to the fatal crash were the five family members killed when their 2004 Honda collided with Herzig’s Peterbilt as it crossed into the oncoming lanes after hitting Lanford.

The victims were Ashia Ballenger, 35, of Campobello; Ashton Olley, 14, of Spartanburg; Jaicurious Gist, 11, of Spartanburg; Jalecia Gist, 8, of Spartanburg; and Leroy Covington, 57, of Campobello. The three kids were siblings, and Ballenger was

Their aunt. Covington was their grandfather. Pamela Ballenger, Ashia’s mother and the siblings’ grandmother, has filed a lawsuit against Lanford, Herzig, and RW Haulers for negligence. “The Ballengers have experienced a lifetime of loss and grief in a single moment,” family attorney Hugh McAngus wrote in an email. “The wreck nearly killed an entire family. The wounds are still fresh; they are with them at all times, and they will be with them for the rest of their lives.

Herzig was not charged for his involvement in the accident. Neither was Lanford, despite driving much below the 45 mph speed limit with drugs in her vehicle.

In court, Herzig and Lanford blamed each other for the crash.

Lanford’s attorney, David Moore, said it was too early in the inquiry to discuss the matter and declined to answer a list of questions from The Post and Courier.

Herzig and RW Haulers’ attorney Rob Moseley also stated that he was unable to answer comprehensive questions because he had not gotten the MAIT records despite requesting them months ago.

Moseley stated in a statement that “our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragic accident.” RW Haulers and its driver, Paul Herzig, fully cooperated with the investigating agencies throughout the investigation and look forward to evaluating the conclusions.”

It’s unclear why Lanford was driving at 12 mph or why Herzig didn’t see her.

The MAIT report gives information on how the incident occurred. However, it leaves other questions unsolved.

“The Ballenger family simply wants a full understanding — both for themselves and for the public — of all causes of this wreck,” McAngus told CNN. “The investigation into what caused the crash begins with Lanford, but it does not stop there. One thing is certain: everyone engaged contributed to this tragedy, with the exception of the Ballengers.” Before the tragedy, Lanford, in her early 70s, had a history of driving violations and passed out at the wheel less than a week before the tragic accident.

According to court records, she has received at least seven fines since 2009, including four for speeding, one for following too closely, one for operating a vehicle without a license and registration, and the most recent in 2019 for going the wrong way on a split highway.

Lanford’s vehicle crossed the centerline and collided with another car on Anderson Mill Road in 2019, resulting in soft-tissue injuries. Lanford was sued, and the dispute was promptly resolved outside of court. Attorney Paul Hammack, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, stated that the claim was dismissed before they reached the discovery stage, but that Lanford had the bare minimum of insurance coverage during the incident. He refuses to disclose the settlement amount.

Six days before the deadly crash on I-26, Spartanburg police officers were dispatched at 9:30 p.m. to the intersection of John B. White Sr. Boulevard and Crescent Avenue for a white Hyundai Santa Fe that had stopped in the road facing traffic.

Lanford, the driver, was unresponsive, according to the police report.

Officers tapped on her window but received no response. The study stated that Lanford responded “extremely sluggishly.” Officers shattered the window to free Lanford, believing she was in need of medical attention, and EMS transported her to the hospital.

After the event, Lanford rented an automobile.

According to the MAIT report, Lanford consumed some oxycodone for which she had a prescription around 11 a.m. on February 24. According to the complaint, she picked up lunch at the Fuji restaurant in Duncan that evening and began driving to Tryon, North Carolina, with some marijuana for her son who lived there.