HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The family of one of three people killed when an SUV crashed into the golf cart they were riding is suing the accused driver.
Christopher Scandridge was riding in the golf cart with two other people, Jacob Wnuk and Fraser Anderson, early Sunday in the Cypress area. That's when Daniel Rivera, 21, allegedly ran a stop sign at a 4-way stop crashing into them. All three men in the golf cart were killed.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said Rivera was drunk and he's charged with three counts of felony murder.
“Our investigation is focused on discovering all root causes of this crash," said Randy Sorrels, one of the attorneys representing Scandridge's family. "Chris has been an outstanding member of our community – a dedicated father, husband, and son."
According to the attorneys, Scandridge was a native Houstonian who graduated from Cypress Fairbanks High School. He worked as a flight controller for the Federal Aviation Administration for 20 years.
“Chris was also a pilot and with his job with the FAA, he was very safety conscious so we believe he was doing all of the right things driving the golf cart at this particular time," Sorrels told KHOU 11's Grace White.
Sorrels said their investigation is just beginning.
"If the area needs to be changed or rectified by lighting, we want to make sure it's a safer intersection and a safer community," he said.
His family is seeking more than $1 million.
Rivera's bond was lowered on Tuesday, but a judge issued an order to keep him in jail. His defense attorney said he will be in court Wednesday morning to sort those issues out.
The crash
The crash happened around 3 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Greenhouse Road and Towne Lake Parkway.
According to authorities, Rivera was driving a black Cadillac Escalade and he ran a stop sign at a four-way stop before crashing into the golf cart at the intersection. Wnuk and Anderson were pronounced dead at the scene and Scandridge was taken to a hospital where he also died.
Three people were inside the SUV at the time of the crash, including a woman and an 8-year-old. Gonzalez said the child was OK and handed over to relatives. The man and woman in the SUV were taken to a hospital with what Gonzalez said were non-life-threatening injuries.
Later Sunday evening, HCSO announced that Rivera had been arrested and charged with murder. They said he had been drinking alcohol before the crash and was intoxicated. According to court documents, the emergency staff at the hospital said Rivera's blood alcohol content was .136. The legal limit in Texas is .08.
According to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, it's OK to drive a golf cart on a road as long as it has proper plates.