Night Clubs Accused Of Over Serving A Customer After Deadly Crash
October 10, 2016
In Pennsylvania and across the country, many bar owners take seriously their responsibility to keep their patrons safe by monitoring their alcohol intake. They know that over-serving a customer may have devastating consequences. Two night clubs in another state are facing those consequences now because four police officers were involved in a deadly accident after leaving those establishments.
Around 5 a.m., the four men were heading home after having spent the evening in a local bar and a popular strip club in a neighboring state. The driver entered an expressway in the wrong direction and collided head on with a tractor-trailer. Two of his passengers were killed in the accident, and a third sustained debilitating injuries. The driver also survived the crash. He is facing charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter.
Although the driver claims the women at the strip club may have drugged him, the surviving passenger and other witnesses say the driver was obviously intoxicated. Witnesses also claim the bars continued to serve him and even offered him free drinks despite visible signs of intoxication. His blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was three times the legal limit.
The families of the victims have brought a claim against both night clubs that served the driver. In Pennsylvania and most other states, it is against the law to serve a customer alcohol when he or she shows signs of inebriation. If it is determined that an establishment is guilty of over-serving a customer, it may be held liable for any damages that result from the person’s intoxication. The facility also risks losing its liquor license.
Source: nj.com, “Strip club, bar sued over ex-Linden cop’s deadly wrong-way crash“, Jessica Remo, Oct. 6, 2016
