The car came careening down Sepulveda Boulevard, collided into Braun Levi and sent the Loyola High School tennis star flying through the air before he slammed into the asphalt.
Levi was a local legend, a nationally ranked tennis player with four Mission League doubles championships under his belt and a spot at the University of Virginia awaiting him in the fall.
But just one month before graduation, his bright future was cut short.
The woman who allegedly struck him around 12:46 a.m. on May 4 had a blood alcohol level of nearly twice the legal limit and was driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI arrest, according to court records. Levi was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In the months that have followed the deadly collision, Levi’s parents have funneled their grief into advocacy — launching the Live Like Braun Foundation to raise money for scholarships and public tennis centers and awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.
Now, they have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged drunk driver, Jenia Resha Belt, 33, and are seeking $200,000 in damages for the Live Like Braun Foundation. Belt could not be immediately reached for comment.
“Our family has made the decision to file a civil lawsuit against the individual responsible for taking Braun’s life,” his mother, Jennifer Levi, said in a statement. “This is not a decision rooted in anger, vengeance, or financial gain. It is a decision grounded in accountability, prevention, reform, and the unwavering love we have for Braun.”
Belt was arrested by Manhattan Beach police at the site of the crash, which happened around 12:46 a.m. near the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and 2nd Street.
She was released from custody on June 4, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s booking log. So far no charges have been filed against her.
“Specialized prosecutors have been working with investigators from the beginning and are continuing to monitor the investigation,” a spokesman with the L.A. County district attorney’s office said Tuesday afternoon. “No case has yet been formally presented.”
Before getting into the car, Belt had consumed “excessive quantities of alcohol” at a bar in Hermosa beach, the complaint alleges. Four passengers inside the car fled the area after the collision.
“Despite knowing and understanding the grave dangers associated with driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, Defendant Belt willfully chose to operate the subject vehicle while intoxicated at an unsafe and excessive rate of speed,” the complaint states.
Los Angeles County Superior Court records show that Belt had previously been charged with DUI stemming from an incident on Nov. 25, 2023, and is not permitted to be behind the wheel, according to records provided to The Times by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
Times staff writers Hannah Fry and James Rainey contributed to this report
The post Parents of high school tennis star Braun Levi sue driver they say got drunk and killed him appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
