The wrongful death lawsuit involving the tragic collision that claimed the lives of Christopher Scandridge, Fraser Anderson, and Jacob Wnuk has been brought forward by the Scandridge family against Daniel Rivera, a 21-year-old resident of Cypress, Texas. Rivera, who is currently incarcerated and facing three murder charges linked to the incident, allegedly drove under the influence and collided with a golf cart carrying the three Houston-area men.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, seeks damages exceeding $1 million and is being pursued by Christopher Scandridge’s wife, parents, and two young children. The collision occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m. on a Sunday, at the intersection of Greenhouse Road and Towne Lake Parkway in Cypress, Texas. While Fraser Anderson and Jacob Wnuk tragically lost their lives at the scene, Christopher Scandridge succumbed to his injuries later that same morning in a hospital.
The legal claim asserts that Daniel Rivera displayed negligence by running a stop sign at the intersection while operating a black Cadillac Escalade. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting Rivera on three criminal murder charges, contending that he was intoxicated at the time of the accident, as indicated by documents filed in Harris County court.
Randy Sorrels, a personal injury attorney representing the Scandridge family, emphasized the ongoing investigation’s focus on uncovering all factors that contributed to the collision. The attorney expressed an openness to information from witnesses with knowledge of the scene or the events leading up to the accident.
As of the time of the lawsuit filing, Rivera’s defense attorneys in the criminal cases are not representing him in the civil lawsuit. Although the online court records for the civil case did not yet list an attorney for Rivera, it’s important to note that he had already been arrested following the crash and was detained in jail. Rivera’s bond was initially set at $200,000 for each murder charge and was subsequently reduced to $175,000 per charge. Despite posting bond, a court directive prevented his release.
A blood sample taken from Rivera at a hospital after the crash revealed a blood-alcohol content of .136, nearly twice the legal limit in Texas. The collision involved an 8-year-old child in the SUV, who fortunately escaped injury. Both Rivera and an adult woman who was also in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a hospital.
In response to the tragic incident, Rivera’s defense attorney, Mark Thiessen, filed a motion requesting alcohol and drug testing for the bodies of all three deceased men. The men had left a house party after watching a boxing match. The motion emphasized the need for accident reconstruction to determine fault, as the collision occurred on a public roadway in Harris County.
The victims ranged in age from 37 to 41, and Christopher Scandridge had a notable background, having been a quarterback for Cy-Fair High School’s football team. He later graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and worked for over two decades as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Sorrels.
