ST. LOUIS — A family member of the mother and daughter killed while leaving a Drake concert in downtown St. Louis earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver involved in the crash and his mother.
Laticha Bracero, 42, and her 21-year-old daughter, Alyssa Cordova, traveled from Chicago to attend the Feb. 14 Drake concert at the Enterprise Center. As they walked back to their hotel after the event, the two were struck at the intersection of North 18th and Olive streets.
Police said the driver, 22-year-old Monte Henderson, was running red lights at 70 mph when he sideswiped another vehicle. His Jeep Cherokee then spun out of control and hit the victims, who were in the crosswalk, before colliding with another vehicle.
Bracero was pronounced dead at the scene, and her daughter was pronounced dead an hour later at Saint Louis University Hospital.
Henderson now faces two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action, all felony charges related to their deaths.
Michelle Del Bosque, Bracero's sister and Cordova's aunt, filed the wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon. She's being represented in the case by the Simon Law Firm.
The lawsuit alleges Henderson was driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol, with a blood-alcohol content of .194, more than twice the legal limit, at the time of the crash. It also names Henderson’s mother, Monet Arps, the owner of the Jeep, asserting that she negligently allowed her son to drive her vehicle despite his history of traffic violations. The suit alleges that the crash was a “direct and proximate result of (her) negligence and recklessness.”
Del Bosque seeks $50,000 in damages from Henderson and $25,000 from his mother as compensation for Bracero and Cordova’s deaths and the “severe pain, discomfort, and anguish” they endured.
Simon Law Attorney Kevin Carnie Jr., who filed the suit, sent 5 On Your Side the following response:
“We’ve sued the driver in this case and now we are suing the person who gave them their vehicle. In legal terms, it’s called negligent entrustment. This tragedy is yet another example of a dangerous situation on our city streets. We hope this lawsuit will make city streets safer, whether it’s through increased enforcement or finding ways to design city streets in a way that makes them a safer place."
Find the full petition below:
