Family of 2022 fatal accident victim reaches a settlement

The family of a teenage Kanawha County girl who was killed in a crash on Interstate 79 has reached a settlement against a lumber company whose truck was involved in the incident. Eyewitness News said a circuit court judge in Putnam County approved the settlement of wrongful death claims against Quality Woods, Inc. and Allegheny Wood Products, Inc. in the 2022 death of 14-year-old Leah Strickland. The companies agreed to pay a combined $4.5 million. An attorney representing the Strickland family said in a news release that the truck was carrying a heavier load than allowed at the time of the crash. The third-annual Leah’s Legacy event is scheduled for Sept. 21 at Slack Plaza in Charleston featuring a 5K run, two-mile walk and a kids fun run. A scholarship and foundation have also been created in her name.