A Dallas jury has awarded $10.5 million to the family of a woman who was fatally run over by a monster truck in a strip club parking lot.
Eric Crutchfield is serving nine years in prison for manslaughter for running over and killing 23-year-old Kasey McKenzie. McKenzie's family said the club, the Spearmint Rhino, served Crutchfield too much alcohol and filed a civil suit.
"Mr. Crutchfield arrived at the club around 10 p.m.," said Michael Schmidt, the attorney for McKenzie's parents. "He was at the club for four hours, and he was served in excess of 10 drinks and shots while he was in the club."
According to the lawsuit, Crutchfield's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
Schmidt showed jurors surveillance video of Crutchfield drinking inside the club that night.
"We believe that obviously he was intoxicated; it was apparent to the bartender and the club that he was intoxicated, and he got behind the wheel of his monster truck and ran over Kasey McKenzie," Schmidt said.
Under what's called the "dram shop" doctrine, restaurants, bars and liquor stores can be held liable if they serve alcohol to customers who are clearly drunk.
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The $10.5 million judgment in the case is said to be the biggest dram shop verdict in Dallas since 1985.
Schmidt called the verdict closure for McKenzie's family.
A corporate representative for the Spearmint Rhino said the company had no comment on the ruling.
