ST. LOUIS 鈥 The family of a mother and daughter who were struck and killed by an SUV while walking downtown after a Drake concert are accusing the driver of negligence, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Laticha 鈥淟ety鈥 Bracero, 42, and Alyssa Cordova, 21, were killed when a Jeep Grand Cherokee ran a red light, struck a car and then hit the women while crossing at 18th and Olive streets after the concert at the Enterprise Center, police said.
Their lawsuit says the driver, Monte Henderson, and the woman who lent him the Jeep should be held liable for negligence and subject to an unspecified amount of damages.
鈥淲e hope this lawsuit will make city streets safer, whether it鈥檚 through increased enforcement or finding ways to design city streets in a way that makes them a safer place,鈥 Kevin Carnie Jr., of The Simon Law Firm, said in a statement.
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Henderson also faces four felonies and a charge of driving while intoxicated in the crash.
The women鈥檚 deaths sparked public outrage about ongoing reckless driving on city streets. It came a year after a volleyball player visiting downtown for a tournament was caught between two cars, severing both legs and fanning the political firestorm that led to the resignation of 51黑料 Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner.
Henderson has pleaded not guilty in his criminal case. He is out on house arrest and is prohibited from driving. Henderson could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Bracero and Cordova were visiting 51黑料 from Chicago on Feb. 14 to attend a Drake concert. Family members said the two were 鈥渋nseparable鈥 and frequently went to concerts together out of town.
Wreckage of a vehicle is seen near North 18th and Olive streets in 51黑料 after police say a driver ran a red light, hit at least one other vehicle, and struck two pedestrians who died. 51黑料 police say that the victims who died in the crash were a mother and daughter who were attending the Drake concert, and were crossing the street when a vehicle hit them.
Early in the morning after the concert, Henderson was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee more than 70 mph on Olive when he ran the stoplight, police said.
Bracero died at the scene. Cordova was taken to a hospital and later died.
Henderson was charged the following day with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action. A grand jury later added a misdemeanor of driving while intoxicated. The lawsuit says he had a blood alcohol content of .194 鈥 more than twice Missouri鈥檚 legal limit of .08.
In the wake of the crash, someone leaked a video to media showing police surveillance footage from the crash. It showed the Jeep appearing suddenly and clipping a small silver car. The Jeep then hit the two women head-on, the video showed.
Henderson鈥檚 criminal attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said at the time that Henderson was on his way to pick up his mother that night.
This week鈥檚 lawsuit says Henderson had at least three prior traffic violations, including for exceeding the speed limit by 20-25 mph. Because of that, the suit argues, he shouldn鈥檛 have been lent a car in the first place.
A hearing has not yet been set in the case.
A video shows an SUV blowing through a red light and hitting two pedestrians without braking while driving about 70 miles per hour. The video appeared to be a cell phone recording of a police surveillance video being played on a separate computer monitor. Monte Henderson, 22, of Kirkwood, is accused of speeding, running a red light and killing two women who were walking downtown.
