Estate sues over brother’s traffic death

Oct. 31--GRAHAM -- The estate of a young man killed two years ago in a car accident on Interstate 95 is suing the driver of the car and its owner, though the driver, also the victim's brother, was killed in the same wreck.

The estate of Devonte Mims, administered by Burlington attorney C. Thomas Steele Jr., is suing Marquise M. Richmond and Cherynel Robinson in Alamance County Superior Court over Mims' death Oct. 22, 2017, at the age of 24. Robinson's insurance company, National General Insurance Co., has offered a $50,000 settlement, according to the suit, and requested the parties get court approval for it.

While the suit doesn't say so, Marquise Montreal Richmond, according to his obituary and news reports, died hours after the same single-vehicle roadside crash in Johnston County at the age of 25. The attorney representing Mims' estate, Michael Garland of Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban PC of Raleigh, declined to confirm that fact to the Times-News, Wednesday Oct. 30.

"Please respect my decision not to talk about this case," Garland said.

Richmond was driving Robinson's 1997 Honda, and Mims was a passenger, according to the suit. The car was headed north on Interstate 95 about 3:52 a.m., and Richmond was driving while impaired, and driving recklessly. The Johnston County report wrote the car went off the road and hit a tree and fence. Richmond was thrown from the car, and a state trooper administered CPR. Mims was pronounced dead at the scene. Richmond died later at Wake Medical Center from his injuries.

The young men were brothers, according to Richmond's obituary at Blackwellfuneral.com.

Robinson, the owner of the car, according to the suit, "should have known that defendant-Richmond" -- who had a checkered traffic record, including a DWI conviction -- "had a propensity towards driving after becoming intoxicated" and should have known Richmond was intoxicated at the time of the collision.

Reporter Isaac Groves can be reached at [email protected] or 336-506-3045. Follow him on Twitter at @tnigroves.

___

(c)2019 Times-News (Burlington, N.C.)

Visit Times-News (Burlington, N.C.) at www.thetimesnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.