Widow files wrongful death lawsuit for semi-truck crash in Republic

The widow of a man from Macon who died when a tractor-trailer caused a chain reaction crash in Republic sued the driver of the big rig and his company. Mary Gresham's husband, Corey, was killed in the crash around 9 a.m. March 27. Lawrence Coan of Kimberling City also died in the crash. Gresham is seeking damages from the driver, Lei Sun, 31, of Alhambra, Calif., and the Daniel Orchard Transportation Company based in City of Industry, Calif. The suit was filed in Greene County Circuit Court on Wednesday. It charges both the company and the driver with negligence.

A report by the Missouri Highway Patrol indicates Sun was speeding and had driven more hours than allowed by federal law when the crash happened. Sun's truck hit Coan's pickup, which hit Gresham's car, which hit another tractor-trailer truck. Gresham, Coan, and the other semi truck driver were stopped at a signal on U.S. 63 at Farm Road 93.Sun was charged within hours with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he was driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone when he hit the pickup.