Kristina Chambers is accused in a drunken crash that killed Joseph McMullin on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Houston. (Chambers’ mugshot from Houston Police Department, McMullin’s photo from his obituary; crash scene photo from CBS Houston affiliate KHOU 11)
The parents of a man who was killed on a first date while walking on a sidewalk by an alleged drunk driver in a Porsche going over 100 mph have filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit.
The parents of Joseph McMullin, 33, filed the lawsuit against the driver, Kristina Chambers, on April 26 in Harris County District Court in Texas. It alleges wrongful death, negligence, and gross negligence against Chambers, 32. It seeks at least $1 million to be determined in a trial for mental and physical anguish, loss of companionship and other damages.
“This case bears striking resemblance to another tragedy reported yesterday where Samantha Miller, 34, of Charlotte, was riding in a golf cart with her husband just hours after their wedding Friday evening when she was struck and killed by a drunk driver,” said Jesus Garcia Jr., the founding partner at Kherkher Garcia, LLP, in a statement. “While one victim was hopeful to find his ‘forever’ on a first date and the other who had just said, ‘I do’ to hers, both young lives were senselessly taken by the actions of drivers who displayed no regard for human life.”
Chambers was driving a Porsche 911 Carrera on April 19 at 2:30 a.m. in Houston when she allegedly lost control, careened off a sidewalk, and hit McMullin, who was walking from a nearby doughnut shop with his date, officials said. McMullin died at the scene. Chambers and two passengers in the Porsche were hospitalized before Chambers was arrested.
Chambers, who posted on $50,000 bond, faces a charge of intoxicated manslaughter. Mark Thiessen, her defense attorney in the criminal case, filed a motion to suppress evidence related to a blood sample taken at a hospital, according to the Houston Chronicle. He told the paper earlier that the case was better suited for a civil lawsuit than a criminal one, that his client was not guilty and blamed poor road conditions. It wasn’t clear whether Chambers had an attorney in the civil case, the paper reported.
Surveillance video shows the speeding Porsche striking McMullin and throwing him 30 feet into the air before the Porsche crashes into a pole. Prosecutors said Chambers’ blood alcohol content was nearly four times the legal limit during the crash, McMullin’s lawyers said. Drugs, including cocaine, were found in her car, the lawyers said.
The lawsuit alleges Chambers was intoxicated, speeding, and not paying attention to where she was driving when she hit McMullin. Her car left the roadway, careened the sidewalk and “violently collided with Joe McMullin.”
“Chambers only stopped because she struck a pole in the parking lot,” court documents said.
Garcia said McMullin was a cherished son, loving brother, proud uncle, and the most loyal friend who was “senselessly struck down in the prime of his life.”
“Joseph’s death was a needless tragedy caused by the reckless and illegal actions of a motorist who showed no regard for the safety of others,” he said. “As the McMullins continue to mourn their unimaginable loss, our team will do whatever is necessary to hold Ms. Chambers accountable for her actions and furthermore deter others from exercising such indifference and disregard for others’ lives.”
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