Father of medical student, 24, who was killed in crash sues married father-of-two neurosurgeon, 36, who 'drove at more than 130mph' over her death
- Samantha Thomas' father filed civil lawsuit against Dr Jonathan Nakhla, accusing him of causing her death in a high-speed crash
- Nakhla, from Mobile, Alabama, charged with manslaughter in crash that killed Thomas, 24, on August 1
- Prosecutors said Nakhla was driving at speed of 138mph when he swerved to avoid another vehicle and landed in a ditch
- Harold Thomas' lawsuit alleges that Nakhla was drunk at the time of the crash
The father of an Alabama medical student who was killed in a high-speed crash earlier this month has filed a lawsuit against a neurosurgeon, accusing him of causing the death of his daughter who was a passenger in his car.
Dr Jonathan Nakhla, 36, has already been criminally charged with manslaughter stemming from the accident that took place on the I-65 Service Road in Mobile in the early hours of August 1, killing 24-year-old Samantha Thomas.
The victim's father, Harold Thomas, on Wednesday brought a civil lawsuit against Nakhla, claiming that his 'reckless driving' while 'under the influence of alcohol' resulted in Thomas' death.
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Dr Jonathan Nakhla, 36 (left), from Mobile, Alabama, has been charged with manslaughter in a crash that killed Samantha Thomas, 24 (right)
Thomas' father, Harold Thomas (right), has filed a civil lawsuit against Nakhla, accusing him of causing his daughter's death
'The lawsuit alleges Nakhla consumed numerous alcoholic beverages prior to getting behind the wheel of his high-performance Audi,' according to a press release from attorney Joe King, who is representing Harold Thomas.
The medical student's father is seeking unspecified punitive damages to 'punish and deter Nakhla’s conduct, and demands a jury trial.'
Nakhla has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge and has been released on $200,000 bond. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on September 2.
'It is her family’s hope and desire that Dr. Jonathan Nakhla will accept responsibility for his actions that caused the death of Samantha,' the press release from the family's attorney stated. 'The family is confident that, regardless of any efforts to avoid responsibility, the justice system will hold Nakhla accountable.'
Nakhla was allegedly driving at speeds topping 130mph on the morning of August 1 when he swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle
Nakhla's high-performance Audi rolled over and landed in a ditch near this Econo Lodge
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During Nakhla's bond hearing, prosecutors said that the neurosurgeon had been going 138mph in a 45mph zone before swerving to avoid another vehicle, which caused his car flip over and land in a ditch near the Econo Lodge Hotel, reported Al.com.
Nakhla is a married father-of-two and a neurosurgeon working at Mobile Infirmary
The newly filed lawsuit provided additional details, revealing that Nakhla’s high-performance Audi convertible left the road and collided with a concrete ditch dividing Interstate 65 from the service road. The car then struck a guardrail, rolling six times before striking a light pole and landing upside down.
'Nakhla’s Audi continued from there before coming to an uncontrolled stop in a ditch, the lawyer's press release stated.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene from her injuries.
Nakhla was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He was booked into the Mobile County Metro Jail two days later.
Dennis Knizley, one of Nakhla's attorneys, pushed back against the prosecution's narrative that his client had been speeding, arguing that because his Audi had rolled over, data taken from the vehicle's 'black box' was unreliable.
'Event data recorders record the speed of the tire going around and as they said in court today, the car flipped,' Knizley told Fox 10 TV. 'Once the tire is no longer in contact with the surface, it no longer indicates the speed of the car but it indicates the tire...so you know how fast the tire is going.'
Nakhla's lawyer said he was driving an Audio R8 Spyder (similar to one pictured), which can go from 0 to 60mph in under 4 seconds
Police have said that Nakhla was driving under the influence and had blood alcohol level above Alabama's 0.08 legal limit, but so far he has not been charged with a DUI.
Prosecutors with the Mobile County DA’s Office said they are awaiting the final toxicology results, according to WKRG.
Nakhla's lawyer said he believes the neurosurgeon, who works at Mobile Infirmary, was driving an Audi R8 Spyder, a luxury car that can go from 0 to 60mph in under 4 seconds. Spyder models from 2020 start at more than $182,000.
Knizley described Thomas, a third-year student at University of South Alabama Medical School, as a family friend of the surgeon, who is a married father of two.
At the time of the accident, Nakhla was reportedly living in the same building as Thomas.
His wife was present during this month's hearing and was seen crying in the courtroom.
Thomas was a third-year medical student at University of South Alabama (pictured left with her sister, Jennifer)
Nakhla's lawyer said Thomas, 24, was a family friend of the married doctor
A judge set Nakhla's bond at $200,000, ordered him to surrender his passport and barred him from going out of state without permission.
Nakhla posted bond in the afternoon and was released from jail.
If convicted of the manslaughter charge, the 36-year-old doctor could face up to 20 years in prison. He has been suspended from the hospital.
Thomas is survived by her parents and sister, Jennifer. The family have started a scholarship in her name to help disadvantaged medical students at the University of South Alabama.
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