New York Mom Suing Police For $30 Million For Failing To Arrest Son For Drunken Driving Before His Death

A mom in New York is suing the police in a $30 million lawsuit because they failed to arrest her son for drunk driving. Kathi Fedden states that upon stopping him for a drunk driving accident, the police let him go and he died about 30 minutes later in a drunken driving accident.

According to the Daily Mail, 29-year-old Peter Fedden died in July of last year after getting in a second drunk driving accident on the same night in Commack, New York.

This week, Kathi Fedden filed the $30 million lawsuit against Suffolk County for negligence in her son’s death from the drunk driving situation. Her claims state that her son died because the police did not arrest him after he got into his first drunk driving accident earlier in the night.

Also named in the lawsuit is a local Ruby Tuesday restaurant that Kathi Fedden states is responsible for her son being drunk in the first place.

“The defendants carelessly disregarded Peter’s safety … and actually created the events leading to Peter’s wrongful death,” the lawsuit states.

No statement was given by the Suffolk County Police Department as they do not comment on pending litigation and open cases. The Ruby Tuesday named in the lawsuit has also not released a comment as of yet.

The New York Post states that Peter Fedden was driven home by police after the first drunk driving accident last year. Fedden was known for giving police officers big discounts at the Commack Breakfast, his eatery. That is, according to the lawsuit filed by his mother.

They didn’t arrest him and once he got home, Peter switched vehicles and drove out about 30 minutes later. Shortly after, he slammed his car into a building in the second drunk driving accident.

Peter Fedden had to be extricated from the vehicle by emergency personnel and he was then airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center. He died shortly after arriving.

Harry Thomasson, the attorney for Kathi Fedden, states that Peter Fedden should not have been given so much to drink at the Ruby Tuesday.

“He was over-served at the bar. He had way too much to drink.”

According to the lawsuit, Peter had two 16-ounce mixed whiskey drinks at Ruby Tuesday and also smoked marijuana before the first drunk driving accident. He left the establishment with another customer and a female bartender.

Shortly after, he lost control of his vehicle, slid across a few lawns, and crashed into a fence all while hitting a parked car. At least seven police officers were on the scene, but drove him home instead of arresting him for drunk driving.

“They crashed at about 11:30 and it was horrific,” says Thomasson. “They all somehow not only survived but were able to walk away from the scene.”

Peter Fedden was stated as going at least 90 miles-per-hour right before his first accident.

Thomasson believes that “anyone else would have been arrested” after the first crash. The problem is that Peter “was so close with them (the police) that he only charged them $1 to eat anything at his deli, no matter what.”

The second drunk driving accident that ended up leading to Peter’s death and his mom suing the police has listed him as driving greater than 100 miles-per-hour. At the time of his death, Peter Fedden’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

[Image via Fedden family to the Daily Mail]