Monster Truck, Pedestrian Accident Results in Dram Shop Suit

Monster truck, pedestrian accident results in the family of a woman who was run over by the jacked-up pickup truck in the parking lot of a strip club filing a lawsuit over her death.

Kasey McKenzie's relatives are suing the driver, Eric Crutchfield, and the club, Spearmint Rhino Gentlemen's Club in Dallas.

Crutchfield was arrested at the club March 17 after his Ford F250 ran over McKenzie in the parking lot. He was charged with intoxication manslaughter after initial blood tests showed twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system. At the scene, 27-year-old Crutchfield told officers he never saw McKenzie walk in front of his truck, which was backed into a parking space.

Witnesses reported that Crutchfield had just put the truck in gear and was not speeding through the lot, but also said he wasn't aware anyone had been hit until others stopped him.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in 101st District Dallas County Court, also mentions Spearmint Rhino President and COO Kathy Vercher and other corporate entities. In Texas, bars and restaurants can be held liable for over-serving anyone who injures someone else in a drunken driving accident. These suits are otherwise referred to as Dram Shop Suits and can often involve a chain of bars a patron may have attended over the course of an evening.  

This is such a tragic story of DWI death and I hope that both the driver and the bar are brought to justice. With the mounting DWI’s popping up in the new, I hope this prompts law enforcement to step up DWI enforcement. 

At the Law Offices of Sean Chalaki, our goal is to protect you and your loved ones before the accident and protect your rights after the accident. For more information about DWI or Dram Shop laws, call our office at 972-793-8500 to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation.