Washington Commanders players Benjamin St-Juste and Jamin Davis, ex-Washington player Deshazor Everett and a mutual friend have been named as defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Kathleen Peters, the mother of Everett’s fiancee Olivia Peters, who was killed in a car crash in Dec. 2021.
Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post and Vivian Medithi and Neal Augenstein of WPOT reported the news.
Peters was a passenger in Everett’s 2010 Nissan GTR, which “swerved, hit multiple trees and rolled,” per Jhabvala. The 29-year-old was trapped in the vehicle before being extricated and taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead from internal bleeding.
As noted by WTOP, the lawsuit claims that all three players “were aware that they were driving recklessly, were speeding and racing their cars on the public highways of Loudoun County and they were aware that such conduct was illegal.”
Per WTOP, Davis drove a McLaren, and St-Juste operated a customized Audi A6. Everett’s 2010 Nissan GTR reportedly had an illegal nitrous oxide turbocharging formula. He also had a GoPro camera attached to the car to record his driving.
The trio of players reportedly met at a Loudoun County auto shop owned by fellow defendant Shahidul Islam beforehand.
According to The Washington Post, among other acts, the lawsuit states that the players “drove at high rates of speed well in excess of the posted speed limits” and “changed lanes erratically and without signaling.”
Peters is seeking $25 million in damages and a jury trial. She filed the lawsuit in Loudoun County Circuit Court on Dec. 22.
Everett was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in February 2022, but that was reduced to a reckless driving misdemeanor. Everett pled guilty and ultimately served three months on house arrest. He also paid a fine, performed community service, made a public service announcement on safe driving and had his license suspended.
It’s unclear just how fast Everett was going, as WTOP noted. Per the WaPo report, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s office’s initial report initially stated that Everett was traveling 90 mph.
WPOT provided more information refuting that report.
“However, during Everett’s criminal trial, prosecutors said readings from the car’s ‘black box’ data recorder, as well as an interview with a witness who saw Everett’s vehicle traveling only slightly above the speed limit, would make it difficult to gain a conviction to involuntary manslaughter.”
Davis has also had multiple driving infractions before and after the crash. Four days prior, he was charged with reckless driving (89 mph in a 65-mph zone). Three months afterward, Davis was caught driving 114 mph in a 45-mph zone. A trial date has been set for March 4, 2024.
Everett, who played strong safety, is no longer in the NFL after seven seasons in Washington. The Commanders released him in March 2022.
Washington selected Davis and St-Juste in the first and third rounds of the 2021 draft, respectively. They have been full-time starters at linebacker and cornerback since 2022
