Family wants to hold local bars liable for woman’s death in crash with accused drunken driver
Sheila Dancy is suing two bars she accuses of serving alcohol to the man charged with drunken driving in the car accident that killed her daughter last year in Belleville.
Ashley Dancy, 35, was sitting at a red light on Illinois 15 on a Sunday morning when a pickup truck struck the rear of her passenger car, pushing her into the intersection with South 74th Street where her car collided with an SUV. She was taken to a hospital from the scene, where she was pronounced dead.
Brandon L. Wilson, 37, was charged in the Feb. 27, 2022, crash with reckless homicide, four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and driving on a revoked license.
Now, Sheila Dancy wants to hold Pop’s Nightclub in Sauget and Nextup Sports Bar and Grill in Freeburg liable for her daughter’s death. She filed a civil lawsuit Jan. 23 in St. Clair County alleging they served alcohol to Wilson before the fatal crash.
Pop’s Nightclub and its property owners have denied Sheila Dancy’s allegations in their responses in court this month, saying they are not responsible for Wilson’s alleged intoxication.
As of Wednesday, Nextup Sports Bar and Grill had not responded to the lawsuit in court. An attorney is not yet listed for the business.
Sheila Dancy is seeking damages in the lawsuit for herself and her daughter’s two children, who now live with her.
She spoke to the Belleville News-Democrat after her daughter’s death, describing Ashley Dancy as a caring and dedicated healthcare worker and mother.
“Everyone from all over always talked about how sweet and kind Ashley was,” Sheila Dancy said at the time.
The lawsuit states Sheila Dancy and her grandchildren should receive damages because they lost a family member and because they have incurred medical bills from her injuries in the crash, damage to her vehicle and expenses caused by her death.
Illinois law allows legal action against bars
Sheila Dancy’s lawsuit cites the Illinois Dram Shop Act. This law allows people to take legal action against owners of businesses that sell liquor, as well as the property owners of the establishments, for injuries caused by an intoxicated person.
It requires proving the intoxication was caused by the liquor those businesses provided.
Sheila Dancy’s 11-page complaint does not include evidence for why she believes Pop’s Nightclub and Nextup Sports Bar and Grill served Wilson on Saturday, Feb. 26, or the morning of Sunday, Feb. 27.
Kevin Boyne, an attorney representing Sheila Dancy, declined to comment further on the case on Wednesday because it is still pending.
Pop’s Nightclub has filed a demand for jury trial in the case.
A status conference is scheduled for April 3.
DUI case continues in St. Clair County
The criminal case against Wilson is ongoing in St. Clair County court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment last year, court records show.
Wilson’s attorney Brian Polinske did not immediately respond to a request for comment this week.
At the time of the crash, Wilson was serving probation as part of a plea deal involving two prior DUI charges, one of which was dismissed under the agreement.
Wilson has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol four times in St. Clair County, including the most recent case, and convicted of the crime once.
Wilson’s next court appearance is a status conference scheduled for May 9.
This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
