Wrongful-death lawsuit targets Asheville, driver in fatal sanitation truck crash
Wayne Wheeler’s lawsuit says his wife, Sally Anne Wheeler, was killed by a city dump truck on a narrow Asheville street. The case now tests sanitation-route safety and driver oversight.
A wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Wayne Wheeler put Asheville’s sanitation practices back under scrutiny after 74-year-old Sally Anne Wheeler was struck and run over by a city dump truck near Highland Place and Sunset View. The complaint, filed against the City of Asheville and driver Michael E. Littrell, turns a fatal residential-street crash into a civil case about responsibility, damages and whether city trash routes are safe enough for neighborhoods where people walk, bike and move bins in close quarters.
Sally Anne Wheeler died at the scene on the morning of April 16, 2025. Asheville police later said no charges would be filed after an investigation and consultation with the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office. Police said the driver immediately stopped and called 911, and APD Deputy Chief Sean Aardema said the sanitation truck was moving forward at under 10 mph and there was no evidence anyone acted recklessly.
The lawsuit presents a different account of what happened in the minutes before the collision. It alleges the truck was moving about 5 mph when Wheeler was struck and says the street was less than 19 feet wide, narrower than a standard residential road width of 22 feet. The complaint also alleges the driver failed to sound the horn, maintain proper visibility and use mirrors properly, claims that place the focus on the city’s route design, vehicle operation and crash-prevention practices in tight residential corridors.
The case also raises questions about evidence that may shape the city’s defense. Bob Whitley, the attorney for Wheeler’s estate, asked the city to preserve evidence and received the truck camera video, which captured the moments leading up to the collision and the crash itself. City Attorney Brad Branham said the city cooperated and facilitated the estate’s inspection of the truck. Earlier reporting also said the video showed the moments before the fatal impact.
For Asheville, the lawsuit goes beyond one block in the Town Mountain neighborhood. The city’s sanitation division handles trash, recycling and brush collection across the city every day, and the complaint may force officials to confront how those large vehicles are trained, supervised and routed through residential streets like Highland Place and Sunset View. The city is being sued under vicarious liability, and the complaint says Asheville waived governmental immunity by purchasing liability insurance, a legal step that could expose taxpayers to financial risk if the family prevails.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
