A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a former Dallas Cowboys player who was involved in a fatal crash on U.S. Highway 75 this month.
Cody Morris, 27, of Plano died June 7 when her motorcycle was hit in the 2400 block of U.S. 75, Richardson police said. When police arrived, around 5:39 a.m., no other vehicles beside Morris’ was there, they said.
Almost an hour after Morris was found, former Dallas Cowboys player Kelvin Wayne Joseph Jr., 25, called police and said he was at the crash, police said. Officers observed “signs of intoxication” while speaking with Joseph, police said in a news release.
He was booked into the Richardson city jail at about 7:45 a.m. June 7, and he faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and a felony charge of collision involving death.
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Last week, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Joseph in Dallas County on the behalf of Morris’ 7-year-old daughter.
The suit alleges Joseph was negligent in causing the crash, including driving while distracted, driving while intoxicated and failing to apply brakes in a timely and prudent manner.
Ryan MacLeod, an attorney representing the family, told The Dallas Morning News the situation is tragic “all the way around.”
“A child loses a parent, no doubt about it, it’s tragedy,” MacLeod said. “It’s also tragedy on the other side, that you’ve got a young man who probably had a incredible life in front of him who made a series of just really awful decisions.”
Joseph could not be reached Monday for comment. It was unclear if Joseph had an attorney that could comment on his behalf. The law firm representing Morris’ daughter said they are not sure who is representing Joseph, or if he has a civil lawyer yet.
Two businesses that allegedly served Joseph alcohol before the crash are also named in the lawsuit.
The Lodge, at 10530 Spangler Road, and Dive on 75 Private Club, at 215 N. Central Expressway, are accused of continuing to serve Joseph alcohol despite his being “visibly intoxicated,” according to the civil lawsuit.
MacLeod said the two bars accused of overserving Joseph had a responsibility to make sure he had a safe way to get home, which the bars did not do.
“Either one of those places could have called him a taxi, called him a ride share, tell him to call a friend,” MacLeod said. “There’s so many choices they had, and they picked the absolute worst choice and just let him get in his car.”
Max Shafiei, the owner of Dive on 75, told The News that, after reviewing transactions and footage, they do not believe Joseph was there that night.
“I’m checking everything,” he said. “I don’t see him coming in my place anytime June 6 or June 7.”
Jack Parker, an accountant for the Lodge, told The News they did not see Joseph at their club or on any entrance tapes that night.
“We watched it very carefully for several hours, and we found no one matching that description,” Parker said.
Joseph was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft and played in 26 games for the team until 2023 when was traded to the Miami Dolphins. He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph (1) participates in a training camp walk-through on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in Oxnard, Calif.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
Joseph now plays as a cornerback for the DC Defenders in the United Football League. He appeared in nine games throughout the Defenders’ 2025 season.
Joseph was declared inactive for the conference championship game on June 7 and wasn’t on the active roster for the UFL championship game on June 14. He played nine games with 30 tackles and three pass breakups.
On March 18, 2022, Joseph was a passenger in an SUV from which two people shot into a group of men in a Lower Greenville parking lot. One man was fatally struck in the head.
Police concluded that Joseph was not the shooter. The NFL did not suspend Joseph for his involvement in the matter.
The News reached out to the law firm that represented Joseph during the previous case. The person who answered the phone said they would return a call later for comment on if they are representing him again.
Staff writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.