August 6, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Family of victim in Venice boardwalk incident files lawsuit

 

A car plowed through  a crowd of people on the Venice boardwalk last year. (Thinkstock)
A car plowed through a crowd of people on the Venice boardwalk last year. (Thinkstock)suit, lo

The husband and parents of an Italian woman killed when a car plowed through a crowd of people on the Venice boardwalk last year filed a negligence lawsuit today against both the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as the driver of the car.

Alice Gruppioni, who was visiting Venice on her honeymoon, was killed last Aug. 3 and more than a dozen others injured when Nathan Louis Campbell drove south down Ocean Front Walk from Dudley Avenue to near Sunset Avenue, causing chaos and panic at one of Los Angeles’ biggest tourist magnets.

The 32-year-old bride died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck, according to the coroner’s office.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, are Gruppioni’s spouse, Christian Casadel, and parents, Valerio Gruppioni and Barbara Michelini.

Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the City Attorney’s office, declined comment on the suit.

City officials were aware the boardwalk is often crowded with visitors, yet there were insufficient bollards or other traffic impediments in place to help prevent such accidents, according to the lawsuit.

The city owns the boardwalk and the county controls parking lots adjacent to it, the suit states.

“Prior to the incident, vehicles frequently drove onto and on the boardwalk,” the suit says. “Indeed, the regularity with which unauthorized, non-emergency vehicles drove onto and on the boardwalk was widely known before Aug, 3, 2013.”

Los Angeles officials also knew that less than three miles away, a car struck and killed 10 people at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market in July 2003, prompting that city to put up metal bollards to minimize the chance of a repeat of the tragedy, the suit states.

Valerio Gruppioni had groomed his daughter to take over and run the family business after his retirement, according to the family’s court papers.

“The death of Alice has caused the loss of the financial support Alice Gruppioni would have contributed to the family …,” the suit says.

Casadel lost the financial benefits his wife would have contributed to their marriage and also has suffered severe emotional distress, according to the complaint.

On Friday, Nancy R. Martinez and her boyfriend, Jose Enrique Gutierrez, filed a separate negligence suit, also alleging the city did not do enough prevent such an accident from occurring by installing more traffic barriers. They were both injured after being hit by the car.

Campbell, 39, is charged with one count of murder, 17 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and 10 counts of leaving the scene of an accident.

After a Jan. 8 hearing in which he was ordered to stand trial, defense attorney Philip Dube told reporters that his client “never intended to hurt anybody or to kill that young lady.”

Campbell’s attorney contended that what happened was an accident and that Campbell “panicked” when he experienced a problem with the shift lever on the 2008 Dodge Avenger he had bought a few weeks earlier at a used car dealership in Colorado. The lawyer said his client was struggling to get the Avenger out of the parking gear when he gunned the sedan and it went forward.

Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila said at the preliminary hearing that Campbell was ‘going down a two-block boardwalk” and “hit people at different locations.” It is the prosecution’s position that Campbell “drove that vehicle, hitting whatever got in his way,” Avila said.

Related Posts

Film Review: Weapons

August 6, 2025

August 6, 2025

By Dolores Quintana You might be asking yourself what the film Weapons is about. Not to worry, writer and director...

Classic Rock Tribute Takes Center Stage at Beverly Hills Summer Series, Concerts on Canon

August 5, 2025

August 5, 2025

Rod Lightning and the Thunderbolts of Love Bring High-Energy Hits to the Stage The City of Beverly Hills continues its...

Trial Date Set for Alleged ‘Ketamine Queen’ in Matthew Perry’s Death

August 5, 2025

August 5, 2025

Woman Accused in Matthew Perry’s Overdose to Face Jury The woman accused of supplying the fatal dose of ketamine that...

DUI Suspect Identified and Charged in Crash That Killed 9-Year-Old, Injured Brother

August 5, 2025

August 5, 2025

RV Driver to Face Serious Felony Charges After Striking Boys Riding E-Scooter The 46-year-old man who was allegedly driving under...

Late-Night Traffic Stop in L.A. Lands Rap Star Soulja Boy Back in Legal Spotlight

August 5, 2025

August 5, 2025

Rapper Taken Into Custody During Early Morning Traffic Stop Rapper Soulja Boy was taken into custody early Sunday after Los...

Deadly Crosswalk Hit and Run in West Adams, Victim Hit Multiple Times and Left to Die

August 4, 2025

August 4, 2025

Police Seek Public Help to Identify Three Drivers Who Struck and Killed a Pedestrian  Detectives with the Los Angeles Police...

Brentwood Bookstore Welcomes a Hollywood Insider and Secret Service Agent for a Night of Noir

August 4, 2025

August 4, 2025

Tinseltown Thrills Meet Real-Life Intrigue With Author of To Live and Die in LA Diesel, A Bookstore will host a...

Woman Shot During Attempted Electric Bicycle Robbery in Culver City

August 4, 2025

August 4, 2025

Suspects Remain at Large After Confrontation Ends in Gunfire Early Monday morning, gunfire erupted during an attempted robbery on Sepulveda...

Elvis Meets Oedipus at the Getty Villa in Fall Premiere of Oedipus the King, Mama!

August 4, 2025

August 4, 2025

Getty Villa Stages Rock-Fueled Oedipus Satire Under the Stars The Getty Villa Museum will bring the myth of Oedipus to...

Cary Grant’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Hits Market for $77.5M

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

Rebuilt by His Widow, the Home Now Offers Sweeping Views Once owned by Hollywood legend Cary Grant, a Beverly Hills...

LA Housing Permits Rebound in Q2: Wildfire Rebuild and Fast-Tracked Reviews Spur Modest Growth

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

New Data Shows a 37% Quarterly Jump in Residential Permits, Long-Term Uncertainty Looms Residential development in Los Angeles picked up...

Federal Court Upholds Stay on Trump-Era Immigration Raids in California

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

Detention Horror Stories and Legal Pressure Keep Feds at Bay  A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a temporary order...

Despite Billion-Dollar Fortune, Beyoncé and Jay-Z Double Down on Real Estate Debt

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

Superstar Pair Is Now Paying Over $637,000 per Month in Mortgage and Taxes Music power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z have...

Two LA County Deputies Charged in Off-Duty Scheme Tied to Crypto ‘Godfather’

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Deputies Accused of Abusing Law Enforcement Powers for Beverly Hills Mogul One Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy pleaded guilty,...

Metro Releases Draft Environmental Report for Sepulveda Transit Project, Public Comment Now Open

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Six Route Alternatives Under Review for Valley-To-Westside Connection The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released its Draft...