TUSCALOOSA, AL — The estate of a woman struck and killed by a vehicle in a November 2025 crash in downtown Tuscaloosa has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the driver ran a red light before hitting her in a marked crosswalk.
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The lawsuit, filed Sunday in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court by David Giles, administrator of the estate of Megan Elisabeth Giles, names Heather Lea Shambry as the primary defendant.
The complaint says the fatal collision happened around 4:16 p.m. Nov. 8, 2025, at the intersection of Jack Warner Parkway and Queen City Avenue near the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk.
As Patch previously reported, 19-year-old Megan Giles of Tallapoosa County was lawfully crossing within the crosswalk with a pedestrian signal when Shambry, driving a 2025 Toyota Camry XSE westbound on Jack Warner Parkway, entered the intersection against a red traffic signal and struck Giles.
Investigators at the time said Shambry stopped nearby and spoke with officers immediately after the incident.
Officers and paramedics were called to the scene at 4:17 p.m. and Giles was transported to DCH Regional Medical Center, where she died from her injuries.
The filing states traffic camera video captured the collision.
The lawsuit accuses Shambry of negligence and wantonness, claiming she failed to obey traffic-control devices, failed to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, failed to maintain a proper lookout and failed to maintain control of the vehicle.
The complaint further alleges Shambry “consciously” entered the signalized intersection against a red light and operated the vehicle “with reckless disregard for the safety of pedestrians in a corridor known for significant pedestrian and bicycle activity near the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk.”
In addition to Shambry, the lawsuit names numerous fictitious defendants tied to potential vehicle ownership, maintenance, roadway design, traffic-control systems and possible product liability claims involving the Toyota Camry and its safety systems.
The estate is seeking punitive damages under Alabama’s Wrongful Death Act, along with court costs and other relief determined appropriate by a jury.
The complaint was filed by attorneys Christina D. Crow of Union Springs' Jinks Crow, P.C., and Auburn attorney Rick Davidson of Davidson, Davidson, Umbach & Forbus, LLC.
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