Portsmouth Gas Light Co., La Carreta face NH Liquor Commission violations

PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth Gas Light Co. representatives are due in Concord this week for a hearing with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission over an alleged violation, while La Carreta Mexican Restaurant has reached a settlement over numerous violations.

The Gas Light’s hearing on Wednesday morning is linked to the Portsmouth traffic circle car crash that took the life of Drew Ceppetelli, a college student from Barrington, early in the morning of Thanksgiving 2022. She was 21. The Gas Light is accused of serving alcohol to a “visibly intoxicated” man who, less than an hour later, was allegedly the driver in the crash.

Tyler Troy, 23, of Northwood was indicted in July by a Rockingham County Superior Court grand jury on eight charges: negligent homicide while under the influence, negligent homicide, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated and two counts of reckless conduct.

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission temporarily revoked the Gas Light’s liquor license Dec. 10, 2022 after an investigation by the commission’s Division of Enforcement & Licensing. Judge Andrew R. Schulman ordered a due process hearing on the matter, however, and the license was regranted in Rockingham County Superior Court three days later.

Jon Flagg, attorney for the Gas Light, said the business would not comment ahead of Wednesday's hearing.

"As a family business, the Gas Light and its employees are very mindful of the tragedy that has impacted so many families a year ago," he said in a written statement. "Out of respect for those families, we choose not to comment on the upcoming hearing before the Liquor Commission."

New Hampshire State Police reported the fatal accident on Thanksgiving morning last year. Authorities at the time said a 2018 Porsche Macan driven by Troy exited the left side of the roadway and hit a curb divider before entering the travel area of the traffic circle. The car then flipped several times, causing multiple passengers to be ejected.

Ceppetelli and three others were transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where she died from her injuries approximately five hours after the crash. Troy and another occupant were taken to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover with non-life-threatening injuries.

The court indictments against Troy state one passenger sustained a punctured lung, multiple broken ribs and broken vertebrae. Another passenger suffered a brain bleed and a broken arm in the crash, while Troy’s alleged actions placed two additional passengers “in danger of serious bodily injury,” according to court documents.

La Carreta accused in incident involving serious injury

La Carreta's representatives were scheduled to appear before the Liquor Commission on Tuesday afternoon, but the restaurant entered into a settlement agreement on Monday afternoon, according to commission spokesperson EJ Powers. Details of the settlement were not immediately known Tuesday.

La Carreta’s settlement is in connection with alleged violations on March 23 and March 24. The accusations include the restaurant serving alcohol “to a person who was visibly intoxicated or who a reasonable and prudent person would know is intoxicated, resulting in a serious bodily injury,” in addition to serving alcohol to minors, giving away free drinks and allowing an employee to consume alcohol while working.

The restaurant also faced four counts of failing “to require a purchaser whose age was questionable for the purchase of alcohol to furnish an acceptable form of identification.” La Carreta also allegedly sold beverages or liquor on credit and continued to operate while closed to the general public.

The restaurant’s hearing was initially scheduled for Oct. 24, but the Liquor Commission granted the licensee’s request to postpone it to this week. The Hanover Street business’ attorney, Pierre Chabot of Devine Millimet, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Powers said the commission was unable to release any documentation in its investigations into La Carreta and the Gas Light.

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission did not immediately respond to a Right-to-Know public records request filed by Seacoastonline Monday morning seeking documents related to both cases.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Gas Light Co., La Carreta face NH liquor violations