LANCASTER — The daughters of a woman who suffered fatal injuries while driving intoxicated is claiming the negligence of the store that sold their mother alcohol.
Carly Fox, individually and as administratrix of the Estate of Tonya Marie Cowell, deceased and Maria Millisock filed a complaint July 19 against Sheetz Inc., alleging negligence and wrongful death.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, their mother Tonya Marie Cowell suffered fatal injuries in an auto accident on July 20, 2020, after she purchased beer at a Sheetz located in Bedford and drove while intoxicated. They claim the defendants' employees unlawfully sold alcohol beverages to their mother while she was invisibly intoxicated which caused her to drive her car off the road and go down an embankment, with the car flipping onto its side and hitting a tree.
The plaintiffs allege the defendant's negligence for failure to train and supervise their employees and failing to establish and implement guidelines on refusing to sell alcohol to intoxicated patrons. They also allege the defendant's negligence for allowing Cowell to leave the premises and operate a motor vehicle while visibly intoxicated and for violating the Dram Shop Act.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief of more than $50,000, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by H. Fintan McHugh of Petrikin, Wellman, Damico, Brown & Petrosa in Media.
Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County case number CI-22-04314