James Harden’s restaurant named in wrongful death lawsuit after ‘drunk’ diner kills NFL star in car crash
A Houston restaurant owned by NBA star James Harden is accused of dousing a restaurant with alcohol before killing seven people — including himself and ex-NFL player DJ Hayden — in a car crash.
Thirteen of James Harden are reportedly named in a wrongful death lawsuit — worth more than $1 million — filed Monday in Harris County District Court.
According to ABCthe restaurant allegedly “caused Christian Daniel Herrera to become intoxicated” and provided him with an excessive amount of alcohol.
Herrera, it is alleged, became “uncomfortably drunk” and posed a danger to himself and others. He later ran a red light before hitting a vehicle, killing himself and six others.
Hayden, 33, and former University of Houston football players Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu were among the victims of the crash, which happened around 2 a.m.
Clippers star Harden, a 10-time All-Star, spent nearly a decade in Houston with the Rockets. He opened Thirteen in 2021, around the time he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
A restaurant owned by NBA star James Harden has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit
It comes after seven people – including ex-NFL player DJ Hayden – died in a car crash
Thirteen, it is alleged, ‘had a legal duty not to provide alcohol to an obnoxiously intoxicated person’
ABC reports that one of the victim’s mothers, Cassaundra Jackson, is seeking more than $1 million in damages over the late 2023 crash.
She claims Thirteen “had a legal duty not to provide alcohol to an obnoxiously intoxicated person.”
An eyewitness at the time described the collision as ‘sounding like two trains colliding’.
In a statement to Houston ABC station KTRK, the restaurant said, “We cannot imagine what Taylar Jackson’s family has experienced over the past year and offer our deepest condolences to them and everyone whose lives were deeply affected by that tragic accident.
“We have just been notified of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information about this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”
A two-time All-Conference USA honoree with Houston, Hayden made national headlines after a collision in practice caused a tear in the main artery that carries blood from the lower half of the body to the heart.
Doctors said at the time that the injury was 95 percent fatal, but decisive work by medics and surgery helped Hayden survive.
He was released from the hospital a week later and was selected 12th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. The cornerback spent nine seasons in the NFL and also played for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders.