Ami Fid Bissette, et al vs. Katherine Ann Deis

Case Background

On November 7, 2022, Plaintiff Ami Fid Bissette and others filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the North Carolina State, Wake County, Superior Court (Case number: 22CVS013895-910). Judges Claire V. Hill, Collins George Bryan Jr., and Gale M. Adams presided over this case.

Cause

On November 13, 2021, Katherine Ann Deis and her friends, including Defendants Mary German, Ayden Andolina, and Katherine Fruehauf, bought alcohol from Apex Eagles, a convenience store with a reputation for selling alcohol to minors. The store’s employee sold them multiple packs of Truly Hard Seltzer without verifying their ages. The group then took the alcohol to a party, where they drank throughout the evening. Later that night, Defendant Fruehauf drove the group to a park. There, Deis and J.W. retrieved a separate vehicle. Instead of heading home, Deis, who had been drinking, drove back to the party. She continued consuming alcohol and later volunteered to drive J.W.’s vehicle when the party ended. Plaintiff’s Decedent, Johnathan Pooley, along with other friends, got into the car. At approximately 1:11 a.m. on November 14, 2021, Deis lost control of the vehicle while speeding on Morrisville Parkway in Wake County, North Carolina. The car crossed a median, hit multiple curbs, rolled over, and crashed into a tree. A police officer responding to noise complaints from the party saw the vehicle speeding but could not intervene before the crash. Emergency responders arrived and found Deis