Kasey McKenzie, photo courtesy of My Fox DFW
The family of Kasey McKenzie has filed a lawsuit in the death of the 23-year-old . Last month, the young lady was leaving a local establishment after closing when 27-year-old Eric Crutchfield ran her over with his vehicle. Crutchfield, who was driving a modified pickup truck, claims to never have seen McKenzie. He would never have known what had happened if witnesses to the accident hadn’t stopped him.
Courtesy of My Fox DFW
Forum contributors, car enthusiasts, and truck accident lawyers have debated whether “monster trucks,” like the modified Ford F250 Crutchfield was driving, belong on the road to begin with. Fox 4 did a pretty good job covering the issue in their article. Specifically, they point out one glaring violation on Crutchfield’s vehicle – the illegal height of the headlights (which can shine over a pedestrian’s head, thus failing to warn her a vehicle is nearby). The article also mentions that “a source close to the investigation told FOX 4’s James Rose that the truck was not street-legal in Texas.”
If that weren’t enough, Crutchfield had a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit when he got behind the wheel. To that end, he has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.
With all this in consideration, McKenzie’s family has filed suit against both Crutchfield and the owners of Spearmint Rhino, the establishment they claim over-served Crutchfield. Texas law holds bars and restaurants responsible for what happens to patrons who are served too much alcohol while under their watch. It’s called “dram shop law,” and it is the basis upon recent DFW lawsuits – including the one against the Pour House.
We’ll be watching as this lawsuit unfolds over the next few months. No amount of money can bring back Kasey McKenzie, but achieving justice can help bring closure.
Drive safely, Dallas.
