Herald Salinas (CA), "Suit over fatal truck crash settled for $4.5M"

          An international lawsuit stemming from a 2004 fatal crash along Highway 101 in Prunedale was settled Monday in Monterey for $4.5 million after less than three full days of trial.
          The accident made headlines because of its bizarre circumstances: an 18-wheeler with 79,000 pounds of produce fell onto a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu after braking to a stop. Three men were trapped inside the crushed sedan for more than two hours as rescue workers sawed through the truck's bed to free them while simultaneously, low-level inmates from the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad removed fruit and vegetables to alleviate the truck's load, making it possible to hoist out the flattened Chevrolet.
          A California Highway Patrol investigation of the accident revealed that on the day of the accident, the 18-wheeler had three axle brakes that needed repair and the lining of one brake was actually cracked. Even if the brakes had been in good condition, the driver ran a stop sign going 55 to 60 mph from Highway 156 onto Highway 101.