Family of Kent State Student Killed in Crash Sues Driver, Employer

The family of a Kent State University student is suing the driver who caused the crash and his employer.

Rachael "Carli" Woodruff's family filed a civil suit in Delaware County Common Pleas Court May 2 against the man who caused the crash that killed her. The suit also names his employer, Dara Toy Company of Macedonia, as a defendant.

The Woodruff family is suing Joshua T. Morris, 32, with a listed address of Stow, for his involvement in the March 22 crash on Interstate 71 in Delaware County near Columbus. Morris "became distracted by his cellphone and lost control of his vehicle," causing him to cross three lanes of traffic, the median and a rest stop exit ramp before crashing into Woodruff's car, according to the Delaware County Ohio Highway Patrol post.

The highway patrol initially said Morris was from Streetsboro, but court records show a Sanford Avenue address in Stow.

According to the civil suit filing, Morris was working for Dara Toy and driving one of the company's 2006 Chevrolet Express vans at the time of the crash.

Woodruff, 19, of Loveland, OH, was driving home from Kent for spring break when the accident happened. Paramedics took Woodruff to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where she died shortly after the crash. Morris was not injured in the accident.

The wrongful death suit holds both Morris and his employer responsible for Woodruff's death. Among the damages, the family is seeking compensation for more than $13,000 in funeral expenses, according to court records.

Morris told highway patrol troopers after the crash that he had been reaching for his cellphone charger when he realized he had drifted in his lane. He overcorrected and lost control of the van, according to a highway patrol crash report.

"It felt like the back end came out from under the van," Morris told troopers. "And then I woke up and saw (Woodruff's car) in front of me. I got out of the van and saw her on the ground."

Criminal charges against . Among the potential charges are vehicular homicide and manslaughter.