That may seem like a funny headline, but this story is extremely unfortunate. A jury in Dallas this week ordered a strip club to pay a woman's family $10.5 million after the club over-served one of their patrons, a man who then ran her over with his lifted truck.
According to the Dallas Morning News and other local media outlets, 23-year-old Kasey McKenzie was killed in 2011 when she was ran over by a lifted Ford F-250, described as a "monster truck" by police, driven by then 27-year-old Eric Crutchfield. Crutchfield was later convicted of manslaughter.
McKenzie's family sued the club, called the Spearmint Rhino, under a Texas law that holds bars and clubs liable if they serve alcohol to patrons who are clearly intoxicated. (Crutchfield was sued as well and must pay a portion of the judgment.) The newspaper reports that Crutchfield's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit and he had no idea he’d hit anyone. From the paper:
The family’s lawsuit alleged that employees of the Spearmint Rhino continued to serve drinks to Crutchfield over three or four hours, “even though it was or should have been apparent … that Crutchfield was intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others.”
One has to feel for McKenzie's family, especially considering how easily this all could have been avoided.
Photo credit Dallas Morning News
Hat tip to Dave