NEED TO KNOW
- The deaths of four women, who were killed in a collision with an 18-wheeler that is alleged to have been speeding in Texas on Nov. 5, were preventable, their families said in a lawsuit
- Myunique Johnson, 20, Lakeisha Brown, 18, Breanna Brantley, 31, and Taylor White, 28, were all pronounced dead at the scene, and the truck driver, Daniel Villarreal Guadalupe, went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
- The women’s loved ones have filed a lawsuit against the truck’s driver, as well as H-E-B, Parkway Transit, Inc. and Scrappy Trucking LLC
The families of the four women who died in a road trip car crash are suing the man allegedly responsible for the tragedy, as well as three companies.
Myunique Johnson, 20, Lakeisha Brown, 18, Breanna Brantley, 31, and Taylor White, 28, were killed in a collision with an 18-wheeler that the family members allege was speeding in Texas on Nov. 5.
The women’s loved ones have filed a lawsuit against the truck’s driver, Daniel Villarreal Guadalupe, as well as H-E-B, Parkway Transit, Inc. and Scrappy Trucking LLC, seeking damages for mental anguish, loss of earning capacity and financial support from the women, loss of companionship, loss of inheritance, funeral expenses and other exemplary damages, according to the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE.
The family members are asking for a jury trial, and they have requested an application for a temporary restraining order prohibiting the defendants from altering key pieces of evidence, including the vehicles involved, any witness statements and drug and alcohol test results, to name a few.
They are also seeking access to Villarreal’s phone, as they state in the lawsuit that they believe he was “distracted” by the device at the time of the crash and “failed to control his speed.”
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Johnson was driving a Nissan Altima and moving slowly due to a flat tire when the vehicle was struck in the rear by the semi-truck.
She and the three other women were pronounced dead at the scene. Guadalupe, meanwhile, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In a statement to PEOPLE, attorney Nicholas M. Wills said, “What occurred that day was an entirely preventable tragedy.”
“Four young girls lost their lives, and their families are now left grieving their loss,” he continued, adding: “We are committed to uncovering the truth of why this happened and holding all responsible parties fully accountable.”
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In a statement to News 4 San Antonio, H-E-B said Guadalupe was a third-party vendor driver, not a worker associated with the company directly.
“Our H-E-B Family is devastated by this tragic accident, which resulted in the loss of the young women involved,” the company said. “The incident involved a third-party vendor driver, not an H-E-B Partner. H-E-B and the contractor are fully cooperating with the investigation.”
Villarreal did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, nor did H-E-B, Parkway Transit, Inc. and Scrappy Trucking LLC.
