Lawsuit in South Windsor officer's death heading to trial
Mar. 3—A lawsuit filed against a Tolland strip club by a passenger who survived a 2021 crash while riding on the back of South Windsor Police Officer Benjamin Lovett's motorcycle is headed to a jury trial in early 2024, court records show.
The passenger, Jennifer Sokolik, also has filed suit against Spencer Kraus, 26, of Ellington, who pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the June 2021 collision that killed Lovett.
On Feb. 23, Kraus was sentenced to 11 years in prison followed by five years of probation at Rockville Superior Court in connection with the collision and Lovett's death.
Lovett was 25 when he died as a result of his injuries from the crash on July 13, 2021. He was off duty at the time of the accident, but was serving as a narcotics investigator for the South Windsor Police Department, town officials say.
The lawsuit alleges that Kraus was already intoxicated when he was served more alcohol at the Electric Blue Café, a Tolland strip club at 62 Merrow Road, before the crash. Besides Kraus and the Electric Blue Café, the lawsuit filed on Dec. 27, 2021, also names the club's permit holder, Kathleen Dyer, and the club's financial backer, Denning Enterprises.
According to court documents, Sokolik sustained multiple injuries from the crash including rib fractures, a collapsed lung, burns and foot fractures. She also suffered mental anxiety and emotional distress since the accident, court documents state.
Kraus pleaded guilty to second degree manslaughter, second degree assault with a motor vehicle and evading responsibility.
According to court documents in the criminal case, around 1:16 a.m. on June 26, 2021, Lovett was riding his motorcycle with Sokolik northbound on Crystal Lake Road.
At the same time, Kraus was traveling on Hunter Road heading toward the intersection of Crystal Lake Road and ignored a stop sign, resulting in the collision.
In another series of lawsuits between Sokolik and a Manchester sports bar that have since been settled and withdrawn, she admits to being with Lovett at Shea's American Grille on the night of June 25, 2021 and into the next morning, where they were consuming alcoholic beverages.
Documents in a counter-suit claim that Sokolik made the choice to get on a motorcycle operated by an intoxicated driver.
Sokolik also filed a lawsuit against the town of South Windsor in August 2022, which was also settled and withdrawn.
Lovett's untimely death drew hundreds of people to his funeral at South Windsor High School on July 21, 2021.
Upon Kraus' conviction, South Windsor Police Sgt. Mark Cleverdon issued a press release highlighting Lovett's accomplishments with the police department.
"Benjamin was a valuable member of the department, an easy going and bright officer, a friend and a co-worker who is greatly missed by his family at the South Windsor Police Depatment," Cleverdon said.
Collin covers South Windsor and East Hartford for the Journal Inquirer.
