Tropicana Atlantic City ‘Hid Evidence’ in Crash That Killed Boy, Lawsuit Claims

Tropicana Atlantic City ‘Hid Evidence’ in Crash That Killed Boy, Lawsuit Claims

A lawsuit from the family of an eight-year-old boy who died in a DUI accident claims that employees at the Tropicana Atlantic City “destroyed or concealed” evidence that might indicate the casino shared responsibility for the tragic event.

Javier Velez was resting in the back seat when the vehicle he was in was hit by Edward Johnston, traveling 107 mph in a 50-mph area.

Velez was coming back from a morning fishing outing with his dad and younger sibling. Johnston was coming back from a night of drinking at Ducktown Tavern in Atlantic City and later at Tropicana's Boogie Nights club.

 

Driver Sentenced to 15 Years

The 25-year-old, who had drunk at least ten beverages, including six Red Bulls with vodka at Boogie Nights, per court records, was sentenced to 15 years in prison last month after admitting guilt to aggravated manslaughter.

The family filed a lawsuit against both Tropicana and Ducktown Tavern for damages under the Dram Shop Act, a state law that makes commercial establishments, like bars and restaurants, responsible for harm caused by intoxicated patrons who have been overserved alcohol.

In a revision to the civil lawsuit submitted last week, the plaintiffs alleged that Boogie Nights concealed possibly damaging evidence, such as surveillance video and debit card statements connected to Johnston’s drink purchases on the evening of the accident.

Michael van der Veen, the attorney for the Velez family, stated that depositions from nightclub employees during the civil suit's discovery process showed that bartenders lacked certification in safe alcohol service, did not monitor patrons' alcohol intake, and only measured shots for the priciest beverages

Additionally, Tropicana overlooked a subpoena from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office asking for all surveillance footage of Johnston from 10 p.m. on July 22 to 3 a.m. on July 23. Only a portion of the video was released, displaying Johnston being served alcohol two times, even though credit card records show four distinct transactions.

 

Video Not Found?

The lawsuit claims that Brian Barnett, the director of security at Tropicana, did not maintain the footage and tried to hide or eliminate further evidence while inspecting the casino’s security offices.

Several of Johnston’s debit card receipts were reportedly absent, as stated in the complaint. One of these receipts was ultimately submitted by Johnston's own criminal defense lawyer, not by Tropicana.

To succeed in a case involving the Dram Shop Act, a plaintiff must demonstrate that an establishment provided alcohol to someone who was either intoxicated or underage and subsequently caused harm or fatality directly due to the establishment’s careless service.

The lawsuit claims Tropicana exhibited “deliberate and reckless indifference” to public safety.