Charleston, South Carolina – The family of two boys killed in a 2023 crash has filed a lawsuit against both the City of Charleston and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
James and Earl Hamilton were killed on November 18 when a car off the road on Riverland Drive and slammed with a tree known as the “widowmaker tree.”
Brittney Roper, the car’s driver, was charged with four counts of felony DUI two months after the crash.
A toxicology report from the time of her arrest revealed that she had a blood alcohol percentage of 0.090% and the presence of THC.
Mitchell Watson and Tyler Barron were both killed in the crash.
According to the lawsuit, the City of Charleston and SCDOT should have removed the hazardous tree and provided protection to keep automobiles from hitting it.
Both the City of Charleston and the DOT said they do not comment on pending litigation.
