—Mother Files Lawsuit One Year After Daughter’s Tragic Death—
On the one-year anniversary of her daughter’s death, Sandy Bennett-Tidwell took a painful but determined step forward—filing a wrongful death lawsuit for 12-year-old Sophia Bennett, who lost her life in a devastating truck accident on Quintet Road near Pensacola’s paper mill area.
- Details: Sandra Bennett-Tidwell, and John Tidwell have filed a lawsuit against Timber Contractors Trucking, Parker Gas Company, Inc., and J.E. Estes Wood Company, Inc. Rachel Gilmer of Levin Papantonio represents the family.
A Tragedy in Broad Daylight
On December 18, 2024, Sofia and her mother. “They were going to an appointment in the middle of the day and were stopped behind a large propane gas truck on Quintet Road,” explained Gilmer. What happened next would shatter a family forever.
The propane truck ahead of them was waiting to make an illegal left turn onto a road that didn’t allow large trucks. While Sofia and Sandy sat stopped behind it, a semi-truck rear-ended them at high speed, sandwiching their vehicle between the two massive trucks.
“Sophia’s mom suffered some pretty significant injuries as the driver of the car, but unfortunately the biggest loss was Sophia. She lost her life that day. Exactly one week before Christmas,” Gilmer said.
The accident occurred under conditions that should have been safe. “This family, they’re wearing their seat belts. It’s the middle of the day. They are legally stopped behind a vehicle, and there was nothing they could have done different to avoid this,” Gilmer explained. “There isn’t one thing they could have done different.”
A Mother’s Mission for Change
For Sandy Bennett-Tidwell, who lost her only biological child, the decision to file suit was agonizing but necessary. “This was her only biological child, and she wants to do the right thing to be able to say, I’ve fought for you, Sofia. I want to hold people accountable,” Gilmer explained. “The biggest thing is they want to see changes. They don’t want to watch another family have to go through this.”
