Bar that served drunk driver cited

SANTA FE (KRQE) - A Santa Fe bar that served a drunk driver who died a short time later in a wrong way crash, has been cited by the state, but the bar insists it did nothing wrong.

Bar employees at Cowgirl BBQ were concerned that Kylene Holmes and her friend were drunk last December, and were worried what might happen if they drove off.

"I tried to call them a cab and they just started yelling at me, got in the car,” The bouncer at Cowgirl can be heard telling the 911 operator. “I said I was going to call them a cab or call the cops and they said call the cops so that's what I'm doing."

The two took off anyway and cops never found them until Holmes slammed head on into an ambulance on -25. The ambulance driver, Vanessa Carrillo's leg's were crushed but she survived. So did Holmes' passenger but Holmes died instantly.

The state has now hit Cowgirl with four citations for over serving. Two against the bar, and two against the bartender, since both women had one drink each.

“These citations are totally unjustified against the cowgirl and we intend to fight them vigorously,” the bar’s attorney Dan Cron said.

He admits the women were drunk but insists they didn't get that way from the one drink they each had at Cowgirl.

“They were drinking someplace else, maybe multiple places.”

In fact Holmes blood alcohol level was .26.

Cron claims the bar did everything that it could, “The Cowgirl has worked hard to be a responsible business citizen in Santa Fe.”

The citations could cost the bar up to three grand and a week without their liquor license. As for the bartender, he could have to fork up a grand and lose his license to serve for a year.