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Bar Cancels Woman's 'Off to Prison' Party, Plans Fundraiser for Victims

Ohio woman seriously injured two teenagers in drug-driving crash
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 18, 2021 11:40 AM CST
Bar Cancels 'Off to Prison Party' for Stoned Driver
Harvey won't be getting the send-off she had planned.   (Getty Images/Morakot Kawinchan)

A bar in Fairfield, Ohio, has canceled an "off to prison" party for a woman convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of marijuana—and it's looking into holding a fundraiser for the two teenage girls she almost killed. Samantha Harvey, 51, also was convicted of aggravated vehicular assault after the two-vehicle crash in May last year. Mother Candy Schleuter tells Fox 19 that her heart sank when she found out about the event that Harvey and friends had organized. She says daughter Savannah suffered two collapsed lungs, multiple broken ribs, a lacerated kidney, spinal fractures, torn rotator cuffs, and a traumatic brain injury in the crash. The other girl, Caila Nagel, had similar injuries and is still in a wheelchair, Schlueter says. Word of the party spread on Facebook via a "Sending Samantha off to Prison Party" event page.

"It really just broke my heart, because I just feel like this is nothing to joke about," Schlueter says. Rick's Tavern and Grille said that it hadn't known what the party scheduled for this Sunday was for, WKRC reports. "We DO NOT condone this behavior! Our hearts go out to all that have been affected by this tragedy. This event has been CANCELLED," the bar said in a Facebook post. "We were not involved in any way with this accident. However, we are currently looking into options for holding a fundraiser to benefit those involved." Caila Nagel's parents thanked the owners "for personally reaching out to our family directly and apologizing even though it wasn’t their fault and they had no clue." Harvey could face up to 78 months in prison when she is sentenced on March 3. (More Ohio stories.)

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