$3M settlement; 135-mph hit-and-run kills recent college graduate, injures another

In the early morning hours of Oct. 4, 2021, 23-year-old Jennifer Demyan was driving on Interstate 26 eastbound near the Dorchester Road exit when her vehicle was rear-ended, causing her vehicle to veer off the road, down an embankment, and crash violently. Passenger Eric Harp was seriously injured in the collision.

Demyan, a recent College of Charleston graduate, died from her injuries. The defendant drunk driver was driving a supercharged Porsche SUV at more than 135 mph. He fled the scene, walked home, and reported the vehicle stolen. A manhunt ensued. Rosado was captured the next day, but no blood alcohol test was administered and Rosado denied being in the crash. However, he was ultimately charged with multiple felonies, including reckless homicide and hit-and-run.

Blue Note Bistro denied that Rosado was at the establishment on the night of the incident. Blue Note Bistro did not have or did not preserve any receipts or point of sale data reflecting alcohol sales to Rosado. A defendant, one of the co-owners and a North Charleston City Councilman, told the media that the lawsuit was “frivolous” and that the plaintiff’s lawyers were “fishing” for a lawsuit. Notably, more than a dozen civil complaints have been against Blue Note Bistro stemming from crimes on the premises.

Charleston County’s master-in-equity ordered Blue Note Bistro to dissolve in October 2023, and SLED cited it with multiple alcohol violations in March 2024. Defendant driver ultimately admitted to drinking for hours at Blue Note Bistro and being served alcohol while clearly intoxicated.