Las Vegas real estate broker Gragson faces new suits in fatal crash

Three victims, including a mother of three who was killed, in a suspected DUI crash in an affluent Las Vegas neighborhood did not know how much alcohol real estate broker Scott Gragson had consumed when they agreed to ride in his SUV after a charity golf event, lawsuits filed Tuesday alleged.

Gragson is accused of crashing his Range Rover in the upscale Summerlin community of The Ridges in May, killing Melissa Newton and injuring three others.

Through attorney Robert Eglet, two passengers, Greg Tassi and Christie Cobbett, who suffered injuries in the crash, filed suit against Gragson.

In June, Christopher Bentley, a real estate executive who suffered brain damage in the crash, sued Gragson.

In the lawsuits filed Tuesday on behalf of Newton’s family and Tassi and Cobbett, Eglet wrote that they “had no knowledge of Gragson’s alcohol consumption.”

After approaching a security gate at the entrance to the neighborhood, Gragson “became belligerent” and “proceeded to barrage the security officer with verbal abuse” before speeding off, the lawsuits allege.

Cobbett was ejected from the SUV and suffered “severe physical injuries” according to her lawsuit.

Tassi, a front-seat passenger, was injured and suffered “severe anxiety, emotional distress and mental anguish” after the crash.

Earlier this month, Gragson, 53, pleaded not guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death, three counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm, and four counts of reckless driving.

District Judge Michael Villani has set a March trial date in the criminal case.

The high-speed rollover crash happened May 30 inside The Ridges, police have said.

Gragson failed field sobriety tests and, with other passengers, was taken to University Medical Center, where a blood draw showed that his blood alcohol level was 0.147 percent at 8:18 p.m., more than three hours after the crash, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.

Gragson had worked since 1997 as the executive vice president of the Las Vegas land division of Colliers International, a large commercial real estate firm.

Attorney Todd Bice, who represents Gragson in the civil matters, could not be reached late Tuesday.

Gragson’s attorneys in the criminal case, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, have said that they plan to “litigate all the facts and issues in court.”

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.