Utah family sues Delta Air Lines for allegedly serving man too much alcohol, leading to his wife’s death in parking garage

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On April 4, 2022, Shawn Sturgeon ran over his wife Charlotte Sturgeon, 29, in the presence of their child at a parking garage at Salt Lake City International Airport. That child’s legal guardian is now taking action against Delta Air Lines, claiming they overserved alcohol to Shawn.

Denise Marie Nimtz, the legal guardian of the child and co-presumptive personal representative of Charlotte’s estate, along with Joseph Dalton, the other co-representative, filed suit today in Utah 3rd District Court.

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Court documents state that when Shawn boarded the flight from San Antonio to Salt Lake City, Delta Air Lines personnel served him at least two additional alcoholic beverages with high levels of alcohol content.

According to Delta’s website, up to five liters of alcohol per person between 48 and 140 proof is permitted in a checked bag. Passengers are allowed two ounces in a carry-on.

When the plane landed, Shawn was reportedly intoxicated to a level “well in excess” of the legal blood alcohol limit, court documents state. Shawn claimed he was so intoxicated he did not remember landing or walking through the airport to go home.

The couple made their way to their car, which they had left on the second level of the Salt Lake City International Airport‘s short-term parking garage.

Witness statements and video evidence reportedly show that Sturgeon was angry with his wife, yelling at her both inside and outside the terminal. One witness “overheard yelling and arguing” prior to observing the car on top of Charlotte and rolling off her. Airport surveillance footage showed Sturgeon arranging his child in the back seat of the car before entering the driver’s side while his wife remained standing outside the vehicle’s rear passenger door.

Sturgeon then reportedly reversed the SUV, hitting his wife. Charlotte’s legs were seen “flailing during the impact as she fell to the ground.” From there, footage revealed that Sturgeon drove forward, running over the woman with the car’s rear tire and driving around about 10 feet before finally coming to a halt. Following the incident, Sturgeon was seen lifting Charlotte’s body and placing her in the car’s passenger’s seat. After arriving on scene, police say Sturgeon appeared to be “under the influence and had bloodshot, glassy eyes.”

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A preliminary toxicology screen showed that Sturgeon had a .13% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), while Utah has a legal limit of .05%. Sturgeon pleaded guilty in Utah’s 3rd District Court in September 2022 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In the lawsuit, Nimtz and Dalton claimed Delta Air Lines should have known Shawn was heavily intoxicated when he left the plane. They stated Delta took “no steps” to keep Shawn from driving or informing law enforcement of his intoxication.

“Delta engaged in a course of conduct which was intentional, willful, reckless, wanton, and with gross indifference to the safety of … others,” court documents allege, “[profiting] from continuing to sell alcoholic beverages to those who are obviously intoxicated.”

Additionally, Nimtz and Dalton claimed Delta should have known that serving alcohol on their flights could cause intoxication when those passengers could be driving later. “Delta … should have known that this could lead to serious injury or death,” court documents state.

Because of this, Nimtz and Dalton allege Delta is responsible for Charlotte’s death.

Nimtz and Dalton also claimed Delta should have known its serving alcohol could cause emotional distress and psychological illness, which they said the couple’s child suffered from.

“Delta and its agents and employees are liable for causing such harms,” court documents state.

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