Alcohol was one factor in fatal crash that left four men dead in Roseville, CHP says
The California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday that alcohol was a factor in the vehicle crash that left four men dead in Roseville late last year.
“It has been determined through toxicology reports, (Jerry) Cepel was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash,” CHP said in a news release. “Additionally, physical evidence revealed Cepel was driving at a high rate of speed and made an unsafe turning movement which caused his vehicle to travel off the main portion of the roadway where it collided into three separate trees.”
Cepel, 61, along with passengers Karan Pannu, 45; Patrick Gainer, 65; and Paul Hammack, 53, were killed.
The announcement is relevant to a lawsuit Karan Pannu’s wife, Sierra Pannu, filed against Cepel’s estate in which she accuses him of “driving over the speed limit and intoxicated” at the time. She also argued in her suit that the House of Oliver, situated on Douglas and Sierra College boulevards 2½ miles from the crash site, contributed to her husband’s death by continuing to serve Cepel when he was “severely intoxicated and obviously drunk,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges Cepel became increasingly intoxicated at the restaurant’s Whiskey Wednesday event, which it holds weekly, and servers continued to provide liquor to Cepel despite him being visibly intoxicated.
“The House of Oliver allowed Mr. Cepel to drive,” the lawsuit said.
Nabil Samaa, Sierra Pannu’s attorney, was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. He had previously decline to comment on the case, saying he planned to amend the lawsuit in respect to House of Oliver.
