Nevada Jury Awards $10M in DUI Crash Death

April 3, 2014

A Clark County, Nev., jury has awarded $10 million to the family of a 28-year-old woman who died when her friend drove drunk after a birthday party.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports James LaPelusa and his two sons won the damages Friday in the 2010 death of their wife and mother.

Shanna LaPelusa had split several bottles of wine with friends at the now-closed Half Shell seafood restaurant before she and two friends headed home Nov. 6, 2010.

The car crashed down an embankment, and LaPelusa was thrown from the vehicle and died.

Driver Summer Mackie was convicted of DUI after her blood alcohol content measured more than twice the legal limit.

The jury decided LaPelusa was 25 percent responsible and Mackie was 75 percent responsible for the death.

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