Judge awards $80 million in New Mexico sand suffocation death

[TexasTowelie]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A judge has awarded nearly $80 million to the family of a New Mexico woman who died in 2002 when a tractor-trailer struck her car and buried it in sand, suffocating the woman as teachers and students at a nearby school frantically tried to dig her out.

Laura Miera of Albuquerque had just dropped off her 14-year-old daughter at Jimmy Carter Middle School and was waiting at a traffic light when the semi exited Interstate 40 and came barreling toward her.

The Albuquerque Redi-Mix truck pushed her car to the curb, it rolled, and Miera was trapped as the semi's open load of sand poured on top of her.

Teachers, students and others on their way to the school tried to dig out the 48-year-old woman by hand. One counselor tried to comfort Miera as the car filled with sand.

More at http://www.elpasotimes.com/latestnews/ci_24696134/judge-awards-80-million-new-mexico-sand-suffocation .

[Warpy]

1. It will be reduced on appeal, of course

but it was a godawful, slow, excruciating way to die, lungs slowly filling with sharp sand granules.

While sand trucks can't stop on a dime, they can slow to the posted speed limit on the exits so they have a better chance stopping at a red light or not missing turns and hitting cars.

I can report that a lot of that company's drivers are speed demons. I've had to take a few unexpected turns, myself, to avoid them.