HOUSTON – A Houston restaurant is facing a lawsuit, accused of serving alcohol in excess to the driver responsible for a deadly 2023 crash in downtown.
The Thirteen by James Harden along with its parent company, Team Harden LLC, are being sued by the family of one of the crash victims.
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The crash happened at about 2 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2023 at 2000 Fannin Street. It led to the deaths of seven people, including three former University of Houston football players.
The three former UH football players, D.J. Hayden, Zach McMillian, and Ralph Oragwu died when a black Chrysler 300, driven by 25-year-old Christian Herrera, ran a red light and struck a black Acura SUV. Herrera, along with 32-year-old Lauren Robinson who was driving the Acura, also died in the crash. A third person, 31-year-old Frank Johnson, who was a pedestrian, died after he was struck by the Chrysler which left the roadway.
Taylar Jackson was also a passenger in the SUV. She was critically injured and succumbed to her injuries several months later on April 29.
Jackson’s family filed the lawsuit, which alleges the restaurant served Herrera alcohol in excess, contributing to the crash.
“He was served past the point where he was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others,” the lawsuit alleges.
The family is seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million, according to the lawsuit.
The restaurant’s COO John Ricks sent KPRC 2 this statement Monday, saying they were just made aware of the lawsuit and would make a more formal statement soon.
“We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident. We were just made aware of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”
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