“It’s a crossroad. Are we going to let more people continue to die or act decisively to save lives?”

WRAL Raleigh, April 10, 2019
By Rick Armstrong, producer, and Kathryn Brown, anchor/reporter

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — A mother is warning all drivers to keep a safe distance from large trucks on roads and highways after a tragic crash in Georgia caused her car to go underneath a truck — leading to the deaths of her two daughters.

After Marianne Karth lost her daughters in the tragic truck crash in May 2013, she joined other families to push the “Stop Underrides” message on websites and social media. The measure, which is also a bill before Congress, calls for protection on the front, sides and rear of large trucks.

“In 1969, the DOT said they were going to put underride protection on the sides of large trucks,” Karth said. “That was 50 years ago.”

For Karth and other affected families. the time to act is now.

“It’s a crossroad,” Karth said. “Are we going to let more people continue to die, or are we going to make a decision to put on protection that can stop these deaths?”