One former player and two current members of the Washington Commanders are facing a wrongful death lawsuit over an incident that occurred on Dec. 23, 2021.
According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, a recently filed lawsuit alleges Deshazor Everett, Jamin Davis, and Benjamin St-Juste were all street racing their cars when Everett’s girlfriend, Olivia Peters, was killed in a car crash.
It was Peters’s mother, Kathleen, who filed the lawsuit on Dec. 22, and now she’s seeking $25 million in damages along with a jury trial.
The lawsuit alleges that the trio “came together and conspired and planned to engage in unlawful and criminal behavior” and “Everett’s actions in speeding and driving recklessly in furtherance of the conspiracy were a direct and proximate cause,” leading to the death of Peters.
Peters passed away when riding along in Everett’s 2010 Nissan GTR after he swerved, crashed into multiple trees, and rolled the vehicle. Everett was ejected from the car during the accident, but Peters was still trapped inside. She later had to be removed from the vehicle, where she was later pronounced dead from internal bleeding at a nearby hospital.
Everett’s vehicle featured a tank of nitrous oxide, used to boost a car’s speed when triggered. Yet, the use of NOS is illegal in the state of Virginia, where the racing occurred. Meanwhile, Davis, a former first-round pick, was driving a McLaren, and St-Juste, a former third-round pick, had a heavily modified Audi A6.
In addition to the various modifications done, Everett’s GTR also had a GoPro Camera attached to the vehicle to record the night’s events. According to the lawsuit, the defendants all “drove at high rates of speed well in excess of the posted speed limits.” They also reportedly drove into oncoming traffic and raced each other on multiple occasions, according to the lawsuit.
While Everett suffered serious injuries himself, none were life-threatening. He was later released from the Commanders’ roster and was sentenced to three months of house arrest.
It wasn’t the first time Davis faced trouble with his actions behind the wheel. Four days before the crash occurred, he was charged with reckless driving for traveling 89 mph in a 65-mph zone. Then, three months after the fatal crash occurred, Davis was back at it, charged with reckless driving again, taking his McLaren up to 114 mph in a 45-mph zone. For that, he was convicted and sentenced to 30 days in jail. He is still awaiting the appeals process, and is scheduled for another hearing in late March.
Meanwhile, the Commanders, who still employ Davis and St-Juste, have declined to comment on the matter.
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