Lawsuit Filed Following Fatal Accident Involving ESPN Broadcaster's Wife
WOODBURY, CT — A lawsuit has been filed against the Marketplace Kitchen & Bar alleging that Katherine Berman, the wife of ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, was served alcohol before a fatal car crash on May 9, 2017.
The accident occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Route 64 near Tuttle Road. A Lexus SC 430 driven by 67-year-old Berman of Cheshire collided with a Ford Escape, resulting in the deaths of Berman and 86-year-old Edward Bertulis, who was returning from a cemetery visit.
The suit, filed by Bertulis' family, claims that employees at the restaurant served Berman multiple alcoholic beverages, despite her evident intoxication. Under Connecticut's Dram Shop Act, liquor establishments may be liable if they serve alcohol to an intoxicated person, leading to injury or death.
Connecticut State Police continue to investigate the incident; findings have not yet been released. The state medical examiner ruled Berman's death as accidental, attributing it to blunt force trauma and drowning. The autopsy indicated Berman had a heightened blood alcohol content at the time of the crash.
Berman and her estate have not been named as defendants in the lawsuit. NBC Connecticut has reached out to the attorney representing Elias Hawli, the restaurant's owner, for comment.