Milton Guin III

The husband of a woman killed in a collision last year has filed a lawsuit seeking $3.4 million from the driver, who faces charges of drunken driving and texting while driving.

Ernest Pippin II filed the suit in Hamilton County Circuit Court last week. In the lawsuit, Pippin seeks $1.5 million for his wife Vickie's death, $150,000 for injuries to the couple's daughter and $50,000 for injuries to the couple's son, both minors.

Pippin requested the same amounts in punitive damages, bringing the lawsuit total to $3.4 million.

He names the accused driver, 23-year-old Milton Guin III, and Guin's father, 58-year-old Milton E. Guin Jr., in the lawsuit.

On Sept. 23, 2011, about 9:10 p.m., Vickie Pippin was driving a 1995 Nissan Quest minivan north on Hixson Pike with her two children riding along. The younger Guin, driving a 2000 Mercury Sable owned by his father, was driving east on Crabtree Road and crossed the southbound lanes of Hixson Pike, entered the northbound lane and collided with the minivan, according to court documents.

Vickie Pippin was taken to a local hospital and later died. Both children were treated for injuries from the wreck.

The younger Guin was arrested shortly afterward and indicted on charges of vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular assault, reckless endangerment, violation of a traffic control device, driving under the influence and unlawful use of a hand-held mobile telephone while driving.

A June 19 hearing is scheduled in Criminal Court Judge Don Poole's courtroom. There has not yet been a trial date set.

He pleaded guilty to a separate DUI in May 2009 and received a suspended sentence, DUI school and loss of his driver's license for one year, according to court records.

In a separate case, the younger Guin also pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal trespass and possession of a controlled substance in June 2011. He received a suspended sentence for those charges, according to court records.