Family sues Soap Lake school, sheriff's office

Sheila Rosenberg died in a car accident in 2011 following a night of under-age drinking. Her family is suing the Soap Lake School District, sheriff's department and a deputy for allegedly not doing enough to stop the party that led to her accident.

by Herald Staff Writer & Justin Brimer
| April 28, 2014 6:00 AM

EPHRATA - The family of a girl who died in a traffic accident is suing the Soap Lake School District, the Grant County Sheriff's Office and a deputy, alleging they did not do enough to prevent under-age drinking at a party before the crash.

Sheila Rosenberg, 17, died Feb. 19, 2011 when a car she was riding in struck a culvert while doing 99 mph, according to the lawsuit.

She and the driver, Pavel Turchik, 17, were drinking vodka at a party at the house of Soap Lake Middle/High School's basketball coach, Igor Lukashevich, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that Lukashevich served Rosenberg and Turchik at least one shot of vodka during the party.

Earlier in the night, the group was partying at a different home. Following a noise complaint from a neighbor, Grant County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Alan Sleeper arrived at the residence and asked the homeowner to keep the noise down. The lawsuit alleges Sleeper stayed at the home for 20 minutes, but did not stop the use of alcohol by minors inside.

The lawsuit also states that Lukashevich, who coached Rosenberg and Turchik at Soap Lake, required his athletes sign a contract aggreing they would not drink alcohol while under the legal age. Lukashevich reportedly broke his own rules and served both minors alcohol the night they died, according to the suit.

At the time of the crash, Turchik's blood alcohol level was .175, or more than twice the legal limit for an adult and Rosenberg's BAC was .2 or two and a half times the legal limit for an adult.

The lawsuit, filed in Grant County Superior Court this week by Rosenberg's family, also names an unknown person as a defendant who provided Rosenberg with a bottle of vodka.

According to the lawsuit, Lukashevich continued to work at the Soap Lake School District for two years after the accident.