Family members of a woman who was killed by her husband in a parking garage at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in April 2022 are suing Delta Air Lines for knowingly overserving him alcohol on a flight.
Charlotte Sturgeon, 29, was struck down and ran over by the vehicle that her husband, Shawn Sturgeon, then 38, was driving.
Witnesses said Charlotte had been standing outside the vehicle checking on their child, who was in the child seat at the back of the car, when Shawn put the car into gear and drove forward. Charlotte was struck and fell, before being run over and dragged by the SUV.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that one witness heard Shawn ask his wife “why she just did that,” adding, “now I have to take you to the emergency room,” before “aggressively” picking Charlotte off the ground and pushing her toward the front passenger seat.
Charlotte subsequently died from her injuries.
The Sturgeons had just flown back from a trip to San Antonio, Texas before the incident. Shawn’s lawyers allege that during the flight back to SLC, Delta Air Lines served him two additional beverages with high levels of alcohol.
According to the Sturgeons’ lawyers, Shawn was reportedly intoxicated to a level “well in excess” of the legal blood alcohol limit when the flight landed. Shawn also claimed he was so intoxicated he did not remember landing or walking through the airport to go home.
The lawyers allege that the two additional alcoholic beverages served by Delta were what eventually influenced Shawn to behave the way he did and resulted in the death of his wife.
Delta Air Lines is yet to release a statement regarding the lawsuit.