A Richland County jury on Friday afternoon socked a local bar with a $3.85 million negligence verdict in connection with the bar\u2019s role in serving liquor to a drunk man who several hours later rammed his Jeep into a car, killing 6-year-old Emma Longstreet.<\/p>\n
The jury, which began deliberations Thursday afternoon and broke for the night, deliberated more than eight hours in the civil case before reaching a verdict sometime before 4 p.m. Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cJustice was served,\u201d\u009d said Emma\u2019s father, David Longstreet, who with his wife, Karen, their three children, and Kenny Sinchak, a motorist in another car, brought the lawsuit against the Loose Cockaboose Sports Bar.<\/p>\n
The jury found the bar was serving liquor after a state-mandated closing time, and that it had served an obviously intoxicated Billy Patrick Hutto.<\/p>\n
Several hours later, Hutto, a repeat DUI offender, ran a red light going 60 mph and slammed into the Longstreets\u2019 car in Lexington County while they were on their way to church. Emma died later in a local hospital.<\/p>\n