CAYCE, S.C. — The owners of a Lexington County bar are being sued by the family of two people killed by a driver who allegedly left the establishment extremely drunk in September 2023.
Henry's of Cayce recently announced it was closing at the end of January due to the rising cost of liquor liability insurance. The bar's owners, Lees Family of SC, LLC, were also recently named as defendants in a lawsuit alleging the bar knew - or should have known - that Joshua Randall Yarborough was drunk. Still, the lawsuit states they continued to serve him alcohol on the night he slammed into another vehicle, killing two people.
Authorities said 68-year-old Cornelius Clory and 17-year-old Leeya Leaverette died, and a third victim, Gladys Clory, was also severely injured. Investigators said Yarborough had been in another crash at 12th Street and B Avenue after leaving Henry's and was attempting to leave the scene of that crash when he struck the vehicle with Leaverette and the Clorys inside at 12th Street and B Avenue.
The lawsuit states that Yarborough crashed into their vehicle as it was stopped at a red light and pushed it 100 feet into a utility pole. Yarborough was arrested at the scene and charged with felony driving under the influence, resulting in deaths, the lawsuit continues.
The suit alleges Henry's of Cayce served an "excessive number of alcoholic beverages" to Yarborough in less than an hour and allowed him to purchase and consume alcohol despite his intoxication - continuing to serve him alcohol even after they should have known he was "grossly intoxicated," violating state law 61-4-580, which, among other things, prohibits the sale of beer or wine to an intoxicated person. The lawsuit also claims the bar failed to adequately hire, train, and supervise its employees and those who serve alcohol.
The representatives of the Leaverette and Clory families are demanding a jury trial to determine adequate compensation for actual and punitive damages.
The family and representatives also filed lawsuits against Yarborough in the death of Leaverette and Clory previously but recently settled out of court for $250,000 and $225,000, respectively.
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