SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) A $1 million settlement has been reached between the family of a young father who was killed by a drunk driver and Levels nightclub.
Robert Ortiz, 20, was killed in April 2018 while driving through the intersection of Breck Street and Pittston Avenue. Authorities say Noah Cohen, who had left Levels minutes before the crash, was speeding down Pittston Avenue at the time and t-boned Ortiz’s vehicle, causing Ortiz to be ejected from his car and suffer fatal injuries.
At the time of the crash, Cohen’s blood alcohol content was .25%, more than three times the legal limit of .08%. Cohen pleaded guilty to DUI and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to five to ten years in prison in May 2018.
Levels has now agreed to pay $950,000 to the family of Ortiz through their insurance provider. Another $50,000 will be paid by Geico to settle auto insurance claims.
“Though no amount of money can fairly compensate for the loss of a loved one, it is our hope that this recovery can provide some measure of closure to the family and will help provide for the future of two small children who will never know their father,” Attorney Robert Moran, who represented the family said in a statement.
The money will be paid in a structured settlement for the benefit of Ortiz’s two children, ages 1 and 4.