Family files wrongful death lawsuit

The mother of a Northport woman killed in a boat crash on July 4 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the boat.

Ricky Latham, 29, was charged with two criminal counts of reckless murder in the deaths of Destiny Graben, 23, and Ricky Glover, 46, after the fatal crash on the Black Warrior River near Moundville.

He's now named in a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday morning in Hale County Circuit Court.

Attorneys for Graben's mother, Tamela Fowler, filed a suit seeking a jury trial and all available damages under Alabama state law.

Latham's blood alcohol content was .234 after the crash, according to an investigation conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — nearly three times the legal limit of .08. Latham was negligent by operating the boat while intoxicated, attorney Matt Glover of Prince, Glover & Hayes and attorney Joel Chandler wrote in the lawsuit. Graben was a passenger on the 2017 Chaparral boat Latham was driving, and died from blunt force trauma to her head and neck, according to the lawsuit.

“Joel Chandler and I are fully committed to holding every responsible party accountable for Destiny’s tragic death,” Glover said Tuesday.

Court records didn't indicate an attorney representing Latham in the civil suit, which was filed at 11 a.m.

Graben was an animal lover who worked as a veterinarian assistant at Town and Country Animal Clinic.