Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Over Fatal Crash That Killed Longtime State Trooper

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the case of a longtime state trooper who was killed in a crash on Interstate 20/59 last year.

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Tuscaloosa law firm Prince Glover Hayes announced on Friday that it had filed the four-count complaint in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court on Friday on behalf of the family of Daryl Wayne Brown Sr.

The firm says Brown — a resident of Sumter County — was killed while on his way to work on Aug. 8, 2024, when his vehicle was initially struck by an intoxicated driver traveling 104 miles per hour.

Attorney Josh Hayes then said an 18-wheeler collided with Brown’s vehicle, killing him instantly.

"Mr. Brown was a proud son, brother, husband, and father, and served over 28 years as an Alabama
State Trooper," Hayes said. "At the time of his wrongful death, Mr. Brown was a member of the security team at the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse in Tuscaloosa."

Hayes said discovery will proceed after the defendants are served with the complaint.

Four defendants were named in the lawsuit: Daaron Michael Crooks, who was driving the vehicle that first struck Brown; Eddie Crooks, who owns the vehicle driven by Daaron Michael Crooks at the time of the accident; Luis Remberto Garcia, Jr., a professional truck driver; and Bravo Express Transportation Co. — an Illinois-based trucking company.

The complaint says that at approximately 6 a.m. the morning of the fatal crash, Daaron Michael Crooks was driving a 2011 Mazda 6 S Touring Plus and traveling north in the left lane on I-59.

He was allegedly intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed when he attempted to change lanes without proper clearance and struck Brown’s vehicle, sending it into a guardrail and disabling the vehicle in the right lane of the roadway.

Garcia, an employee of Bravo Express, was also traveling north on I-59 at the time of the crash and the tractor trailer he was driving slammed into Brown's disabled vehicle.

"Upon information and belief, Garcia was following too closely and caused Brown’s wrongful death," the lawsuit claims. "Upon information and belief, Garcia had time to avoid impact with the Brown vehicle and, because of his actions and omissions, did not do so."

Attorneys representing Brown's family also said an independent witness identified on the Alabama Uniform Crash Report reported that the tractor-trailer never braked before impact — potentially indicating that Garcia was distracted.

What's more, Prince Glover Hayes says Bravo Express and Garcia have not cooperated with customary procedures in traffic fatality cases, including various vehicle and scene inspections, which in part, prompted the complaint to demand preservation and production of vital evidence.

Brown's family is demanding compensatory and punitive damages, plus interests and costs, in amounts to be determined at a later time.

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