Parents of man killed in 2023 Kelly’s Ridge crash file wrongful death lawsuit

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The parents of a man who was killed in a 2023 crash in Columbia have sued multiple parties for wrongful death.

Walker Davis, 18, was killed in the crash Aug. 5, 2023, crash at Kelly’s Ridge Apartments. Elizabeth Lopez, 26, pleaded guilty on March 23, 2026, to three counts of leaving the scene of an accident.

She originally faced a manslaughter charge, but was given five years of probation after serving in a 120-day jail program. Court filings show Lopez is expected to complete the program on July 31. She is currently being held at Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia.

Davis’ parents, Brad and Mary Davis, filed a lawsuit Friday in Boone County against Lopez, the company that owns the apartment and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. All defendants are accused of wrongful death.  

The petition accuses the apartment company of not having any traffic control signage and claims the MHTC did not design the driveway in a way that could hold traffic control signage. It also calls the entryway from West Broadway “dangerous.”

After the crash, court documents in previous reporting say Lopez reentered the Kelly's Ridge apartments parking lot and fled the scene. Court documents allege she went back to her apartment and told her boyfriend about the crash. While officers investigated the scene and towed her vehicle from outside the apartment, Lopez allegedly did not make herself known to the police until the morning.