BY DAN HILDEBRAN
The estate of a man run over by a log truck in 2020 has settled with the driver and owner of the vehicle.
According to court papers, Alberto Morales was fatally injured on November 9, 2020, near County Road 221 north of Hampton.
Lawyers for Maria R. Escobedo, the decedent’s surviving spouse and personal representative of the deceased’s estate, said in a complaint that a 1998 Freightliner semi was being loaded with logs at the time of the accident. The truck was owned by Aviation Associates of Florida LLC. of Ft. McCoy and operated by Steven L. Wettstein.
“While the semi-truck was being loaded with logs, Mr. Morales climbed underneath the rear axles to change the battery in the scale,” wrote Lance Avera of Avera & Smith LLP. “When the semi-truck was loaded, but while Mr. Morales remained under the semi-truck, Mr. Wettstein pulled forward and drove over Mr. Morales.”
In addition to Escobedo, Morales left behind four children, who at the time of the accident were approximately age 24, 18, 15, and 12.
The parties reached a settlement through mediation in October 2023. The court appointed a Guardian ad Litem to review the proposed settlement for the interests of the one plaintiff under the age of 18 at the time of the confidential settlement.
The court received the Guardian ad Litem’s report in February and approved the settlement on March 18.
