Fox News Flash top headlines for February 18
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An Ohio bar said it canceled an alleged "going to prison party" for a woman convicted for a car crash that severely injured two teenage girls in 2020.
Doug Getz, co-owner of Rick's Tavern & Grille, told Fox News that he and his wife Kathleene canceled the event as soon as they found out its purpose and called the mother of one of the girls to explain what happened on the same day the party was scheduled.
The lives of Ohio teens Savannah Schlueter and Caila Nagel were forever changed when Samantha Harvey crashed into their vehicle on May 6, 2020, FOX19 reported. Harvey was convicted on counts of aggravated vehicular assault and operating a vehicle under the influence with a marijuana specification, according to FOX19. Harvey will be sentenced in March, according to FOX19.
"We called [Caila's mother Shelly Nagel] directly and apologized for our part in this event and assured her that it had been canceled," Getz told Fox News in a statement. "We also offered to hold a fund-raiser at Rick's Tavern to raise money to help her family as well as the family of Savannah Schlueter. Shelly Nagel said that she very much appreciated the offer. However, they were going through a lot emotionally at this time and she would notify us if/when they were ready to address our offer."
"Some of you may have have heard that we are hosting a 'Going to prison party' for someone that caused an alcohol related accident that resulted in someone being permanently paralyzed," Rick's Tavern & Grille posted on its Facebook page Tuesday. "We DO NOT condone this behavior! Our hearts go out to all that have been affected by this tragedy. This event has been CANCELLED. We were not involved in any way with this accident."
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Savannah's mother, Candy Schlueter, told FOX19 she saw a screenshot of a Facebook event called "Sending Samantha off to Prison Party."
"My heart kind of sunk, because I felt like these were two young teenage lives, and you’re taking this so lightly," Schlueter told FOX19. "Having this party, almost in celebration of the accident, and I just... It really just broke my heart, because I just feel like this is nothing to joke about. Both of those girls could’ve died."
"I do appreciate [Rick's] putting on their Facebook page that they would not condone that or host that," she said.
Getz said dealing with the fallout has been "all-consuming" for the past few days.
"My wife and I purchased this business on January 13, 2020," he told Fox News. "We invested everything we had to get 'our dream' - only to be shut down 8 weeks later. This past year has been extremely difficult on us both."
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"We like to think that we are good people who try to provide a great product to our community," Getz said, adding that Rick's will host an "Autism Rocks fundraiser on Feb. 28.
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