Religion News Service, "Lawsuit filed over van rollover deaths"

The estates of five young people killed in a single-vehicle church van rollover accident last year have sued Ford Motor Co. and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, claiming Ford was negligent in manufacturing its Econoline E-350 15-passenger van, and Enterprise knew the vans were dangerous. In 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board said the center of gravity of 15-passenger vehicles rises when the van carries more than 10 passengers, and rollovers are more likely.

Because of this finding, the board recommended in July 2003 that Ford strengthen the roofs of its 15-passenger vans and provide more safety belts, and it called for training Econoline drivers to better maneuver in emergency situations. The current suit, filed in Almeda Superior Court in California, stems from an accident in Yermo, Calif., nearly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. A van carrying 14 young adults to a religious retreat rolled over on Interstate 15, killing five passengers.