The Horsehead Bar and its owner are being sued for allegedly overserving a patron who went on to drive while under the influence of intoxicants and crashed into the plaintiff, according to a complaint filed in Lane County Circuit Court on Tuesday. 

The plaintiff is seeking $160,000. 

Before the collision in late September 2018, the patron, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, allegedly ordered and drank alcoholic beverages at the Horsehead Bar. The complaint alleges that the Horsehead Bar “knew or should have known” that the patron would cause a crash after drinking, and was negligent in serving the patron alcohol when he was visibly intoxicated.

The Horsehead Bar and the plaintiff’s attorney were not available to comment in time for publication.

The patron hit the plaintiff, Rae Kelley, who came to a complete stop at River Road and East Rosewood Avenue. 

The complaint stated that the patron’s alleged conduct of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants was “reckless and outrageously indifferent to a highly unreasonable risk of harm.”

“The negligence of Defendant the Horsehead Bar was a substantial factor in causing the hereinafter described injuries,” the complaint alleges.

Kelley also sued another individual for an unrelated traffic incident that happened around April 17, 2018. Kelley drove through the intersection of 18th Avenue and Patterson Street. The other defendant ran a red light and subsequently T-bone collided with Kelley. The separate incident was unrelated to the Horsehead Bar. 

The charges brought against that defendant include failure to maintain proper lookout for other cars, failure to maintain control of his vehicle, careless driving, speeding, failing to obey a traffic control device and failure to avoid colliding with Kelley.

Both collisions caused Kelley injuries, the lawsuit claims. 

Editor’s note: This story does not name the individual defendants accused of causing the accidents because they could not be reached in time for publication.