Four Businesses Sued Over Fatal Crash Man Killed Was Riding In Car Driven By Harry Haight, Convicted Six Times Of Drunken Driving
Relatives of a Spokane man killed by a habitual drunken driver in 1994 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against four businesses they say contributed to the crash.
John Reeves, 36, died after leaving a tavern on East Sprague with Harry Haight, who five minutes later plowed his car into a parked semi-trailer near the intersection of Madelia and Main.
Reeves died a short time later of brain injuries.
Haight, a six-time convicted drunken driver, recovered from his head wounds and told police he couldn’t remember anything about the accident.
He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and is completing a four-year prison sentence. Prior to the 1994 crash, Haight’s stiffest sentence was less than 60 days in the county jail.
Reeves’ family now is asking for about $1.2 million in damages from the Haight family’s printing supply business, the owners of the parked semi-trailer, the driver who parked it and the Covered Wagon Tavern at 1709 East Sprague, where the two men met the night of the crash.
The lawsuit, filed last week in Superior Court, claims a bartender continued serving alcohol to Haight until 2 a.m., even though he clearly was intoxicated.
Bartender Phil Johnston, however, told police he refused to serve several people who showed up drunk at the bar, including two men he said could have been Haight and Reeves.
“We’re real strict about not over-serving people,” said Jill Kelly, tavern owner. “I remember Phil wouldn’t give them beer to go, either.”
But the Reeves’ family attorney, Bob Dunn, said Haight admitted drinking inside the tavern.
“There’s some dispute about whether they even recall (Haight) being there,” Dunn said Monday.
Also named as defendants in the suit are Spokane Transfer and Storage and Okanogan Seattle Transport Co., two companies who own and operate the semi-trailer Haight crashed into on the side of the road.
The rig was parked the wrong way on the street just beyond a darkened overpass, making it difficult to see, the suit said. There were no reflectors on the trailer.
Police ticketed the semi’s driver $94 for the infraction. Spokane Transfer manager Kent Ross refused comment Monday.
The victim’s family also is suing Haight Brothers Inc. for supplying Harry Haight with a company car even though he had a suspended license and at least 18 driving violations. The company is owned by Haight’s father. Two calls to the firm were not returned Monday.
“They knew of his problems and gave him a vehicle anyway,” said Reeves’ sister, Margaret Eller. “That is just unbelievable to me.”
Eller said her family is trying to move on without Reeves, who was single and had no children, but news of other drunken driving accidents “bring it all up again.”
“Harry Haight had been given chance after chance after chance,” Eller said. “And my brother is dead for no reason.”
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