Jury Awards Family $10.5Mil In Strip Club Parking Lot Death
DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - A jury has awarded the family of 23-year old Kasey McKenzie $10.5 million for the March 2011 accident that took her life in the parking lot of a Dallas strip club.
McKenzie was crushed by a 'monster truck' driven by Eric Crutchfield, who was drunk and behind the wheel after leaving the Spearmint Rhino club near Walnut Hill and I-35.
Melinda Gutierrez with the Dallas Police Department says the driver claimed he didn't see the woman because his truck, a modified Ford F250, is so high off the ground.
Gutierrez says when the truck started to drive off, after striking McKenzie with it's over-sized wheels, several witnesses ran the truck down and stopped the driver.
According to testimony, Crutchfield's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
McKenzie's family sued both Crutchfield and the Spearmint Rhino because in the state of Texas, bars and restaurants can be held liable for over-serving anyone who injures someone else in a drunken driving accident.
Crutchfield pleaded guilty in May 2012 to a charge of manslaughter, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison. Additionally, he'd been on probation since 2007 for possession of steroids, and after he killed McKenzie, the judge in the steroids case revoked that probation and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Attorney Michael Schmidt represents the family. He says the jury found that Crutchfield was 30% to blame and the The Spearmint Rhino 70% responsible. Schmidt expects an appeal.
Judgement delivered for woman killed in strip club parking lot
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