A wrongful death lawsuit is now central in a Dallas crash case after a plea deal, as the victim’s family calls it their best chance at justice.
DALLAS, Texas — A new wrongful death lawsuit is now at the center of a high-profile Dallas crash case, as the victim’s family says it may be their best chance at justice.
Mindi Crapo has filed the lawsuit against former Dallas Police Association president Jaime Castro and his girlfriend, following the crash that killed her daughter, Atianna Washington, while she was crossing Northwest Highway last year.
From the start, Crapo said something didn’t feel right.
“I kept telling the detective, something’s not right here,” she said.
Early reports identified Castro as the passenger and his girlfriend as the driver, but last week, Castro pleaded guilty to providing a false statement to police, a misdemeanor.
“I feel he’s gotten a slap on the wrist for lying. There’s no accountability for the death of my daughter,” Crapo said.
WFAA sources say responding officers did not administer a drug or alcohol test or ask whether Castro or his girlfriend had been drinking. In a statement, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said, “It appears the investigation at the scene was incomplete.”
Crapo’s attorney, James Roberts, points out that at the time of the crash, Castro led the Dallas Police Association.
“It appears to me that they took him at his word that night, because of who he was, because of the position he held,” said Roberts. “When he said he wasn’t driving and that they hadn’t been drinking, they just stopped the investigation right there.”
Roberts said he also believes Castro was driving. Now, Crapo and her attorney say the lawsuit — and what it may uncover — could be their best chance to get answers.
“She was my best friend,” Crapo said. “So, I want her to be remembered in the best way possible.”
Castro has not responded to WFAA’s requests for comment.