Wrongful death lawsuit filed against former sheriff’s deputy, wife

Published 5:15 pm Thursday, February 19, 2015

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Chilton County Circuit Court Wednesday against a former Chilton County sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer, his wife and two minors stemming from a deadly wreck in Clanton in June 2014.

Court records show Jason Tingle, represented by the Birmingham law firm Belt and Bruner, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Christopher Webster, 45, of Alabaster, who was killed June 19 in a wreck on Highway 145 near Jefferson State Community College in Clanton.

At the time of the wreck, investigators tried to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor. During the investigation, they found information that led them to believe David and Rebecca Hubbard supplied the underage female driver in the wreck with alcohol the night before the incident.

Investigators believe David and Rebecca Hubbard provided alcohol to the underage females and found evidence of inappropriate and illegal contact between David and Rebecca Hubbard and the females.

As the investigation continued, more victims came forward and more charges were added.

At the time of the criminal relationship, both David Hubbard and Rebecca Hubbard were associated with the Chilton County Board of Education.

Currently, David and Rebecca Hubbard face multiple criminal charges, including facilitating the travel of a child for an unlawful sex act, school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under 19, second-degree rape, second-degree sodomy, enticing a child for immoral purposes, school employee having sexual conduct with a student under 19 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday names both David and Rebecca Hubbard and two underage females.

One of the females was the driver of a Chevrolet Trailblazer involved in the wreck, and the other female is accused of “negligently or wantonly” entrusting the vehicle to the driver to drive while intoxicated, according to court records.

The lawsuit claims that the driver “negligently or wantonly” operated a motor vehicle and failed to yield the right-of-way to Webster’s vehicle, causing a head-on collision, resulting in Webster’s death.

David and Rebecca Hubbard are accused of supplying the teens with alcohol and allowing them to drive while intoxicated.

The lawsuit requests a jury decide compensation for the plaintiff for “injuries and damages sustained.”

Currently, both David and Rebecca Hubbard are in jail on bonds totaling more than $800,000.

Court records indicate the lawsuit has been assigned to Chilton County Circuit Judge John B. Bush.