Radar Online reports Jersey Shore‘s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was charged with selling alcohol to a minor in 2004 which led to the death of Marlboro High School senior Michael Truncali.
Truncali attended a party in the basement of Snooki’s home where he reportedly drank for hours before attempting to drive home in the early morning hours. Truncali had a blood alcohol level of .18 when he crashed his Mazda and died.
A police investigation into the party revealed Snooki had charged money for alcohol being served at the party so she and three others were charged with Prohibited Sale of Alcoholic Beverages. The house belonged to Snooki’s mother Helen Polizzi and although it was reported that adults were drinking at the party as well, police could not prove Helen Polizzi’s involvement and she was not charged in the incident.
Radar Online interviewed Bill and Michelle Truncali, parents of Michael Tuncali, who hope that talking about the incident will help bring awareness to the issue of underage drinking and driving. “If this brings some exposure to the problem and if it stops this from happening to someone else, that is a good thing,” Bill Truncali told the site.
As far as Snooki’s role in the incident and her subsequent rise to fame as part of a reality show that tends to glorify partying and alcohol consumption, Michelle Truncali says, “We’re not out to trash Nicole. I never blamed her for what happened, she was a 16-year-old (sic). I blame others. I am not looking for those people to get arrested, I just want the truth.” She also mentioned that watched two episodes of Jersey Shore and couldn’t take any more.
