Associated Press
Suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his estranged stepmother over the 2007 death of his father.
The suit, filed Sept. 4 in North Carolina Superior Court, does not allege how Lisa Mayfield was involved in her husband’s death. It only claims her “intentional actions” played a direct role in Terry Mayfield’s death.
A police investigation determined Terry Mayfield died from a suicidal gunshot wound to the chest.
Mayfield is the first driver suspended under NASCAR’s toughened drug policy. His stepmother testified on behalf of NASCAR about seeing him use methamphetamines at least 30 times over the years.
He denied ever using the drug and accused Lisa Mayfield of accepting payment from NASCAR to lie under oath.
She in turn filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayfield last month, denying his public comments that she killed Terry Mayfield.
Lisa Mayfield was arrested last month and charged with four misdemeanor counts of simple assault and one misdemeanor count of second-degree trespassing for an incident at Mayfield’s Catawba County home. Mayfield and his wife, Shana, said an intoxicated Lisa Mayfield showed up at their home while the couple was away.
Shana Mayfield said a caretaker and his wife approached Lisa Mayfield, who allegedly began hitting the caretaker and then pushed their pregnant daughter.
Shana Mayfield has since been granted a restraining order against Lisa Mayfield.
Damages are not specified in the three-page wrongful death complaint.